NOSTALGIA IS OVERRATED

Following a string of mid-to-meh horror reboots that seem only to reaffirm the original’s greatness (like Black Christmas in 2019, Candyman in 2021 and Scream in 2022), the latest resurrection, I Know What You Did Last Summer, has something big going for it: Its predecessor from 1997 is a bit of a dud.

- BEATRICE LOAYZA

That's not to say there aren't plenty of us who think fondly of the coastal teen slasher, a major hit in its time starring (and perhaps buoyed by) its flashy ensemble cast, which included It Girls Jennifer Love Hewitt (Party Of Five) and Sarah Michelle Gellar (Buffy).

Scored with grungy alt-rock tracks and set in the foggy fishing town of Southport, North Carolina, the film follows four high school grads stalked by a hook-wielding killer who somehow knows they're the culprits behind a hit-and-run that took place the previous Fourth of July.

Like a mashup of The Tell-Tale Heart and a PSA for drunk-driving, all inflected with the era’s pessimism for the future, the film remains a notable artefact of 90s youth culture. But, frankly, I still find it generic — and weirdly low energy — for a masked-maniac movie.

In other words, there's room for improvement — but Jennifer Kaytin Robinson's new version fumbles its shot.