It’s time to get hooked, horror buffs! TheI Know What You Did Last Summerfranchise is back in action, making a killing in theaters this summer with a long-awaited reboot directed byJennifer Kaytin Robinson. And asthe current box office numbers prove, it’s kicking off to be one of the most successful horror films of 2025. Truly, this delightfully cheesy slasher series has made a considerable mark on horror and pop culture since the time in the 1990s when it spawned from the booming post-Screamslasher craze. Sure, it’s ridiculous, unoriginal, full of typical slasher tropes, and not the most perfectly made franchise, but it’s a harmless and enjoyable cult classic series that’s sure to give viewers thrills and chills.
TheI Know What You Did Last Summermovies are, for the most part, popcorn flicks, able to give audiences a good scare and some solid entertainment. Yeah, they’re hard to look past the absurdity of their premises half the time, but that’s part of what makes these films so fun and rewatchable in the first place.Some of these films are more rewatchable than others, mainly because they’re more thrilling, have a more decent plot, or are just all-around more entertaining. From least to most, here is every installment in theI Know What You Did Last Summermovies ranked by how rewatchable they are. Some of these might shock you; others might not. So, what are you waiting for? The four below are ready to hook their stories into you.
4’I’ll Always Know What You Did Last Summer' (2006)
Directed by Sylvain White
Starting at the bottom isI’ll Always Know What You Did Last Summer, the lackluster third entry released direct-to-video in 2006 by directorSylvain White. Of course, this bizarre, convoluted, and highly inferior installment would be the least watchable or memorable.It’s terribly rushed, badly acted (more than usual for this franchise), and the premise is beyond absurd.The plot, if you can call it that, follows a group of teens in a small town in Colorado who find themselves being stalked and killed one by one by a mysterious serial killer one year after a prank goes horribly wrong. As the body count rises, they realize they’re somehow facing off against the reanimated corpse of Ben Willis, The Fisherman (Don Shanks).
I’ll Always Know What You Did Last Summerisn’t just the worst of this franchise; it’sone of the worst slasher movies in history. It’s a low-quality, cheaply made mess that’s trying to capitalize on the popularity of the first one, but clearly failed spectacularly to do so. Seriously, its plot makes absolutely zero sense. And more importantly, why did it take a sharp supernatural turn by making the killer a Jason Voorhees-esque type of killer, and put him in a setting where there is no large body of water?It’s not scary or funny, and the kills, which are a major part of this series, are bland and unremarkable. The third film is an overall hard-to-watch disaster that represents the deepest low point of this franchise. Perhaps its biggest crime is that it’s not even as entertainingly bad as one other sequel to be mentioned on this list.
I’ll Always Know What You Did Last Summer
3’I Know What You Did Last Summer' (2025)
Directed by Jennifer Kaytin Robinson
The newest installment, simply titledI Know What You Did Last Summer, brings the franchise back to basics, delivering a solid story with interesting new characters and even more bloody kills. It brings a bit of new life to this dormant franchise after the abysmal mess of the direct-to-video third film, and brings with it all new scares to entertain audiences from beginning to end. Featuring the return ofJennifer Love HewittandFreddie Prinze Jr., along with fresh newcomers likeChase Sui WondersandMadelyn Cline, it follows this franchise’s iconic final girl, Julie James, as she reluctantly helps a worried group of friends who are being stalked by a mysterious raincoat-wearing killer in her old hometown of South Port.
It’s a mostly decent mystery with some effective scares and thrilling chase sequences.Its strongest part is the main cast, who mostly give fun and enjoyable roles, with the rising star Madelyn Cline easily giving one of the film’s standout performances. Unfortunately,like most of this series, it does get dragged down by its mostly predictable plot and heavy reliance on horror clichés. There are also a lot of frustrating, dumb character decisions that, by this point, most horror fans are seriously tired of.It has its flaws, but theI Know What You Did Last Summerreboot has its fair share of thrilling moments that are sure to leave anyone watching satisfied.
I Know What You Did Last Summer
2’I Still Know What You Did Last Summer' (1998)
Directed by Danny Cannon
Just shy of the top spot isI Still Know What You Did Last Summer, the bizarre, hilarious second installment from 1998 by directorDanny Cannon. This is by no means a good movie.I Still Knowis a convoluted, poorly acted, and nonsensical sequel that often representsone of the worst horror movies of the ’90s. However, it’s anything but boring and honestly could be considered so bad that it’s good. Love Hewitt and Prinze Jr. return as the sole survivors of the last movie, in a story that follows Julie and her college friends as they travel to a tropical island resort. But little does Julie know that the whole vacation was set up as a trap by a sinister foe from her past.
Sure, it’s bad, but it’s laughably bad.I Still Know What You Did Last Summertakes a notable dip in quality compared to the first one, and its worst moments are hard to ignore, but also quite hilarious. The acting is campy and over-the-top at times, and the lines are comically awful. Not to mention, this film features a terribly miscastJack Black, who is so out of place here that it’s actually hard not to laugh every time he appears on screen. It all depends on viewers' taste, of course, whether this disaster of a film will either entertain or frustrate them, but there’s no denying that it’s got some good scares and a fun tone.
I Still Know What You Did Last Summer
1’I Know What You Did Last Summer' (1997)
Directed by Jim Gillespie
At number one is no surprise to fans. Of course, the firstI Know What You Did Last Summeris the best and most rewatchable film in the franchise. It’sone of the most recognizable and beloved horror movies of the 1990s, a thrilling and memorableScreamclone that came out at the perfect time to keep slashers relevant in the public eye. This iconic first outing sees a group of four friends as they find their futures altered when they cover up a terrible accident. Now, on the anniversary of said accident, they’re stalked by a hook-wielding killer with a personal vendetta against them.
Featuring thrilling chases, iconic characters and lines, and unique mystery, it’s a joyride that gets more fun and exciting with every rewatch.Yeah, it’s not the best slasher movie ever made, and it’s quite dumb at times, but it’s not trying to be the best of the best and just wants to provide a decent slasher experience, which it certainly excels at. Endlessly rewatchable even after three decades, the firstI Know What You Did Last Summeris a blast of entertainment that hasn’t lost its luster after all these years, and will continue to excite and hopefully scare audiences for decades more.
