I Still Know What You Did Last Summer (1998)...And A Brief Summary of I'll Always Know (2006)

 

After the success of I Know What You Did Last Summer, it was inevitable that a sequel would be greenlit a year later. Lo and Behold, we have I Still Know What You Did Last Summer. For kicks, I decided to read the script, which is nearly identical to the movie, but with a few changes here and there. Yes, I know this is an unnecessary sequel, and yes, I know it is a cash grab, but...and this is a big but... This is a guilty pleasure of mine. Maybe it's the nostalgia calling me; however, I keep finding myself watching this movie over and over again. I don't know why. Sure, this movie is beyond dumb, and the plot twist is so stupid to the point where I ask myself, 'Why would they come up with that? Yet and still, this movie has a hold on me. This is what I call an adventure slasher, and compared to the original, things are a lot more exciting this time around. The story has stakes. HUGE stakes. It's bloodier, gorier,  has action, and a few suspenseful moments. It's a dumb popcorn movie, and I'm okay with that.

 

The movie begins with an overly dramatic opening scene, where Julie walks to the cathedral to confess her sins. It is actually really well shot, and the light blue shadows of the cinematography give it this ethereal yet ominous feel. So, Julie starts to confess her sins to the priest, which is a recap of the events of the first film in case the audience forgot. Then the priest creepily says, "I know..." Julie catches her breath for a moment and replies, "You...know?" The priest turns his head to reveal it's Ben Willis, the killer from the last movie, and shouts this cheesy line, "I Know What You Did Last Summer!" and punctures his hook through the frame. I just couldn't help but laugh; it was so corny. 

Of course, this turns out to be a dream, and Julie wakes up screaming in class. This indicates that the ending of the first film was all but a dream and has been a recurring problem for Julie ever since.

Embarassed by her outburst, Julie scurries out of class, where she is then accompanied by her new male friend, Will, played by the very attractive Matthew Settle. To add more to Julie's worries, it's the fourth of July, the day her friends were killed by Ben Willis. Will reassures her that everything will be fine and just a relic in her past. But just as he says that, here comes Ray, Julie's boyfriend, appearing out of the blue. 

He tries to lure Julie back to Southport to celebrate the Fourth of July together, but considering that she's still traumatized by the events of last year, Julie refuses. Instead of understanding her plight, Ray gets upset and walks off in a huff. He is extremely whiny and selfish here, which doesn't help that he was a bland character in the first movie, but he soon improves. 

After she argues with Ray, Julie drags her feet to the apartment, feeling sorry for herself, and jumps on the bed to sleep off the stress. 

Then comes nighttime...

Julie stirs from her sleep and hears a sudden noise. She becomes instantly spooked. Investigating the apartment, Julie senses someone there and, on instinct, she grabs a kitchen knife. She hears ruffling in her closet. Julie creeps closer and closer, ready to strike and then...

Out pops Brandy. Yes, the Brandy Norwood, in her closet. She plays Kara Wilson, Julie's friend and roommate, who encourages her to go to the club with her to dance off the stress of her strained relationship with Ray. 

Say what you will about the movie, but one of the best parts, in my opinion, is the chemistry between Jennifer Love Hewitt and Brandy. They actually come off as genuine best friends, and it gives the film a lot of heart. I know I'm pushing it, but I'm just being honest here: if Jennifer and Brandy were in a buddy comedy, I would definitely watch it. 

So, then Kara takes Julie to the club where we meet with Kara's boyfriend, Tyrell, played by the very handsome Mekhi Phifer. Tyrell is pretty much Barry 2.0, but he's not as bad, though. His only takeaway is that he's on the snarky side and dismisses Julie's suggestion that there might be a killer a foot.. Kara also invites Will over, unbeknownst to Julie, and it's clear that she is setting him up to be Julie's next love interest. Just when Will shoots his shot, Julie gets distracted...

For some reason, The Fisherman stalks Julie at the club. This is one of the few nonsensical moments of the film, but at least there is an explanation for that later. When Will comes back over, Julie forgives him and decides to cool off at home to shake off her PTSD. 

The next morning, Kara gets a call from a local radio station offering the chance to win a vacation to the Bahamas if she answers what the capital of Brazil is. As they scramble to find a clue to where the capital of Brazil is, Julie grabs coffee mix. Yes, coffee mix to figure out the answer. These days, they would just Google it on their phone and presto! But in the heat of the moment, Kara spurts out, "Rio de Janeiro." There's a moment of uncertainty until the radio host says, "Congratulations, you just won a weekend getaway!" The girls are ecstatic and instantly plan out who to invite on the trip. Julie decides to call Ray. Of course, he acts like a whiny self-centered jerk, saying, "Oh, you'd rather hang out with your college friends instead of me." Dude, she WON a vacation trip, and you were the first person that she called. At the end of the day, it's the thought that counts. Be grateful. 

When Ray realizes this, he softens and says he'll try to come. His friend and coworker, Dave, convinces him that he should take the work off of him. So, Ray agrees, and the two hang out before their departure. But as they stop near a supposed hit-and-run accident in the dead of night, Ray goes to investigate. Once he kneels down towards the body, it turns out to be a mannequin. Turns out, The Fisherman is alive after all, and he instantly kills Dave with the swift movement of his hook. He goes after Ray in his car, but fortunately, Ray dodges from the car and jumps over a hill, rendering him unconscious. 

As they get prepared for their trip to the Bahamas, Julie and Kara hopelessly wait for Ray. Julie tries to make excuses for him, but Kara doesn't budge and figures that Will would be a good replacement for him, to Julie's dismay. From plane to boat, Julie, Kara, Tyrell, and Will finally arrive at the Bahamas to the tune of Esethro's That Girl. Sure, this is a bad movie, but the soundtrack is fire, you can't fight me on that. 

Upon arriving at the hotel, Julie and the gang get some bad news. It just so happens that they're in the middle of storm season, which means that they're the only ones left in the hotel. Therefore, that's when the carnage really begins. 

Before I continue with the main characters, let's get the lesser characters out of the way, which is basically half of the hotel staff. 

There's Darick the Dockhand Guy. He only gets a few lines here and there and...that's pretty much it. The Fisherman kills him before he becomes an actual character. 

Then there's the housekeeping lady, Olga. She doesn't get that many lines either, and once she sees there's something fishy going on, she instantly gets hooked by The Fisherman.

Further down the line, we have the poolboy, Titus, played by none other than Jack Black. He is probably the most cringeworthy character in the movie, but he is also the funniest because...he's played by Jack Black. The only thing we know about this character is that he is a hardcore stoner, and that's it. He had a different death scene in the screenplay, but the producer thought his death wasn't gory enough, so The Fisherman gives him a good stab on the hand and some shears to his chest. 

We have Bellhop Estes, the all-knowing old man who uses Voodoo to protect our main cast. Apparently, his using Voodoo is a bad thing, and they instantly accuse him of being the killer, though it's obvious it's not him, and the gang is just uneducated on how Voodoo actually works. You see, Estes knew about Ben Willis, and he gave out a hint that he might've killed his wife because of the affairs she had. Although he tries to save the main group, unfortunately, he's no match for The Fisherman. 

Then we have Bartender Nancy, played by the criminally underrated Jennifer Esposito. Nancy is probably one of my favorites of the hotel staff because she actually has personality. She's a smart whipper-snapper who holds her own and is also the most proactive of the bunch. If she had the chance, she would've survived the whole movie, but again, The Fisherman has too much of tight a grip on her and she goes down without a fight. 

Lastly, we have the cratankerous hotel manager, Brooks, played by cult favorite Jeffrey Combs. He's quick to throw insults at our main cast, and he's not quite as hospitable as he should be. He's definitely one of those characters you root for to die.

Although he gets killed off-screen, his death looks extremely painful. You can tell that The Fisherman did a number on him. 

Now on to our main foursome:

First, we have the one and only Brandy as Kara Wilson. Kara could've easily been a throwaway character, but Brandy's personality shines through as I find her to be quite likable and easy to root for. She's seen as Julie's emotional anchor and is the kind of friend who cheers you up when you're having a bad day. That's why I find the chemistry between Jennifer Love Hewitt and Brandy to be so palatable because you actually believe it. Say what you will about the movie itself, but I honestly think Brandy did a good job and made the film a bit bearable, in my opinion. 

It's already said what needs to be told about Tyrell. He's basically a Barry clone and spends most of the movie complaining. However, the most frustrating part is that, despite all the carnage, he still dismisses Julie's claims that there might be a killer afoot. Even though he has seen dead bodies, it's pretty obvious that Julie has a target on her back and that the person who's after her will probably kill him too. Just as soon as he says he hasn't seen a psycho killer yet, right on cue, The Fisherman pops out and hooks him in the neck, complete with cartoonish CGI blood. Yelp, that's all I could say about Tyrell. 

Then there's Will, who's the typical dogged nice guy, pining for Julie's affections when she's clearly not over Ray yet. But beneath that nice guy facade, he harbors a deep, dark secret that would implode in the film's climax. More on that later...

Julie is a lot more likable this time around and is quite sympathetic, given the trauma she went through in the first film. By the time we get to the film's middle section, you can tell that she has grown tired of The Fisherman's bullshit and finally takes charge. There's this part in the movie where Kara gets pursued by the killer, and Julie bursts in with an ax as if to say, "No, not this time!", and hacks away at the door for Kara to escape. You see, this is what I like about Julie: she makes sure that no friend gets left behind. 

Of course, she gets her "what are you waiting for!" moment, but this time, when she sees her name and birthdate spray-painted on a tombstone, she shouts out, "You want me, Ben! Come and get me, but my grave stays empty!" Not as cringy, but it's just as entertaining. 

There are a lot of stupid moments in the film. For example, Julie finds a dead body in her closet, and it's quite a bloody mess. But as soon as the rest of the characters come in to check on it, it's gone, and the floor is sparkling clean. Oh, where have I seen this before? Oh yeah, the first movie. Boy, it seems like Ben Willis has super-cleaning skills. 

Probably the dumbest moments in the movie have got to be the karaoke scene. I've seen this scene in all the promos and trailers, and I always kept wondering how the killer was able to even program the machine unless he had some supernatural powers to make that happen. 

I think I find the tanning bed scene to be most suspenseful, but then again, it's just an excuse to show off Jennifer Love Hewitt's sculpted body for the horny male audience. 

Unlike the first movie, the movie goes to the extreme when it comes to the blood and gore. Pretty much the entire film has this approach of bigger, broader, and bloodier with a different location, higher body count, and over-the-top action. 

Which leads us to the climax of the film. It sort of hints that Ben Willis might have an accomplice who does his dirty work, and it turns out that this accomplice is none other than....

Will Benson. Will is Ben Willis's son. The name says it right there. Will, Ben's son. He explains this to Julie verbatim. It's just so fucking ridiculous. But what's even more ridiculous is how Julie and the gang got there in the first place. You see, the movie relies on our good ol' friend, the idiot plot. Ben and his son, Will, devised an elaborate plan to lure Julie and her friends to the Bahamas. Will impersonated the radio host who won them the trip, and it turns out, in the middle of the film, Julie and Kara got the answer wrong. Whether they got the answer wrong or right, they would've been screwed either way, but what really gets me about this is the time spent between the first movie and this sequel. So, it's been a year, right? How come Will just spots Julie at her college, pretends to be a student, or rather attend the same school as her, I don't know, then befriend her, somehow got in contact with his father who was presumed dead since then, and for some reason, plan this whole evil plot to get Julie and her friends shipped off to the Bahamas to kill them. That's a little bit overboard, don't you think? I mean, that takes a lot of time and money to actually make that happen. It is beyond nonsensical, unless Ben inherited a million dollars. I don't even know if that's plausible. Now, Matthew Settle's acting was decent until then, but at this point, he becomes cartoonishly over-the-top. He's trying to channel Skeet Ulrich, but it was giving Jim Carrey. So Will brings Julie over to Ben, and just when you think it's over for her, out pops Ray, gun in hand, serving off his big hero moment.

I have to hand it to Ray. He started off a bit whiny and combative, but he actually stepped up and went out of his way to save Julie. I mean, the guy gets run over, escapes from a hospital, takes a bus, and takes a boat through a raging storm just in time to save Julie. That takes a lot of guts.

Ben Willis is no different from how he was in the last movie. Just a generic horror villain who, this time, lets his son do his dirty work in the climax, but this time it costs him.

So he has Will rough up Ray a bit and hoists him up for Ben to give him the final blow. But then Ray hits Will and dodges out of Ben's way, only for him to stab and kill his own son by accident. 

Full of rage, Ben goes after Ray and then...Julie finally takes charge, grabs a gun, and blasts Ben's ass away.

Ironically, Ben falls into the same grave made for Julie, the sludge and mud submerging him into a proper burial. 

So, all is well. The national guard comes through. Julie and Ray hold each other in an embrace, and thankfully, Kara survives her ordeal. 

This should be the end, but the movie feels like it should have one last jumpscare because it's a horror movie. So at the end, Julie and Ray are living the life of young newlyweds in their rather lofty two-story home. The scene sort of takes its time to get through, but finally, we see that Julie still has visions of Ben attacking her. Yes, I said visions. You would think that she was actually attacked by Ben at this point because it was left a mystery for years until the new movie came out. Yes, there has been a recent sequel, or shall I say requel, that addresses that Julie, in fact, survives this and has lived to tell the tale. I will cover that at a later time. But unfortunately, there was a third sequel that was sandwiched between this and the recent one, and trust me, I will get to that soon...

So, what do I think of I Still Know What You Did Last Summer? It's a bad movie. Borderline stupid even. But I can't help to say that I was thoroughly entertained. Maybe it's the nostalgia talkin, but I might count it out as So Bad, It's Good. Am I saying that it's a classic or it's Shakespeare? No. It's a dumbass movie. But it's a fun, dumbass movie. The kind where you get to sit back, get a couple of drinks or some joints, and have the time of your life.

My last word: It's a turn-your-brain-off gory slasher flick. Nothing more, nothing less. 

Okay, now it's time to talk about I Always Know What You Did Last Summer. Very dumb title by the way. I only saw this movie once back in high school, and I was bored out of my mind. Not only that, I could barely see anything. This was, of course, the mid-to-late 2000s, when most horror films were shot predominantly in darkness. Shit, you could hardly tell what's going on, and it would often sour the enjoyment of most of those films. However, the most annoying aspect of the filmmaking was the music video flashes, which could cause seizures if viewed for too long. Alright, the story itself goes like this: A group of high school friends hang out at a carnival, and one of them decides to prank another friend by dressing up as The Fisherman (he's obviously an urban legend now). Suddenly, the friend who pranked that friend causes his accidental death, which evokes the ghost, yes, I said ghost, of Ben Willis one year later, killing them one by one. The characters are nothing to write home about, along with some terrible, terrible acting. I guess the lead actress tries to do a good performance, but nothing ever comes out of it. Then you have The Fisherman, who has basically turned into a Freddy/Jason clone. Considering that he has the power to hide and clean dead bodies in record time and teleport out of nowhere, why not make him a supernatural ghost? There's really not much I can say about this movie. It's a cheap, low-budget direct-to-video knockoff with no connection to the original except for the zombie/ghost fisherman Ben Willis. But ever since, this sequel has been forgotten and should be forgotten. Hell, I don't think it's even canon in the film series, so yeah, that's a good thing.

My Last Word: Avoid at all costs.

So those are the two sequels to I Know What You Did Last Summer. Are they great? Hell, no. But will the 2025 reboot be any better? I highly doubt it, but I'll check it out anyway.