I Still Know What You Did Last Summer

Plot

One year after the slayings at Southport (and 2 years after Julie and Ray dumped the body of Ben Willis), Julie is trying to move on with her life – now at college. Unable to go back to Southport with Ray, she instead goes on a spur of the moment holiday won by her best friend Karla, and joining them are Karla’s boyfriend Ty, and Julie’s friend and admirer Will.

However, while there, Julie fears that Ben is back to finish what he started. Is it all in her head, or is Ben really back???

Direction

Directed by Danny Cannon – who has seemingly transitioned to television directing now.

Cast/Characters

Returning from the first film are of course Jennifer Love Hewitt, Freddie Prinze Jr and Muse Watson as their characters Julie, Ray and Ben.

New cast include; Brandy (as Wilson comma Karla), Mekhi Phifer as Ty, Matthew Settle as Will Benson (geddit?).

The ‘island’ cast and characters are Jeffrey Combs as Mr Brooks, Bill Cobbs as Estes, Jennifer Esposito as Nancy. Jack Black appears unbilled as Titus, the island drug dealer.

Other known actors within are Mark Boone Jr as Pawn Shop owner, and John Hawkes as Dave… poor Dave.

Breakdown

In this obligatory sequel – we see Julie – still struggling with what occurred in Southport, and unwilling and unable to return – despite Ray’s hope they can rekindle their dwindling relationship (and pop the question it seems?). She is still mourning Helen, which is quite sweet and something we didn’t really see ‘too’ much of in other slashers.

Instead of going back to Southport on the anniversary, she goes on an impromptu trip to the Bahamas with her gal-pal Karla, Karla’s boyfriend Ty – and the fourth wheel Will (try saying that ten times fast). Ray of course is annoyed – (but you’re okay with everything? Is your psyche okay Ray? The next movie might answer that actually…).

Once there, of course Ben is back (not before attacking Ray who wants to make up… aww – and killing Ray’s friend… poor Dave) – and once he gets to the island himself, starts offing the (very limited) staff (because this is a horror movie, and they are dispensable characters). What they also didn’t count on was that 4th of July in the Bahamas is the storm season, and a hurricane is coming right at them.

The violence is upped (looks like they’ve listened to other horror movies sequel rules), and the kills are more frequent. There isn’t much character development, and some ideas are either repetitive (Brooks the surly hotel owner – who is antagonistic for no reason), or established, and go nowhere (Estes who is a voodoo… does voodoo, either way he doesn’t help much at all).

There is a somewhat fun third act twist in which we discover that there are two killers this time! But this completely retcons Ben’s character from the first film and why his rampage is essentially redundant.

There are also a handful of other things that either don’t make sense (like surely Julie and Karla would have told someone they won a radio contest, for that someone to say… you weren’t on the radio though???) Also “what’s your favourite radio station” doesn’t have quite the same ring to it as “what’s your favourite scary movie”.

Jennifer Love Hewitt might regret some of the scenes in this film, as it really felt for the most part to have her in little clothing at all – but at least she got to sell her song as it plays throughout the film at times (remember when she used to be a singer kids?) She also might take the mantle for Scream Queen with how much she uses her lungs here.

There doesn’t really seem to be moments where Julie doesn’t feel safe – especially given there are so many chances that the killers really could have offed her. It does appear that its just a standard slasher movie to kill off as many disposable characters as can be.

A post action epilogue left the door open for a third film… that came around almost 30 years later.

Overall

Okay enough sequel that was fairly obvious that it was going to happen as the late 90s was throwing these out like candy. Julie never really feels like she’s in too much danger, and the characters that do ‘get it’ are mostly cannon fodder who had never met her before (those poor island folk).

The “second killer” reveal that occurs in the third act was quite surprising when I first watched it, but this retcons all of Ben’s story from the first film.

The silly “open ending” never went anywhere, and is ignored in the third film almost three decades later.

3/5

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