Why So Blu?

I Know What You Did Last Summer (4K UHD Steelbook Review)

When I Know What You Did Last Summer hit theaters in October 1997, it arrived with a sharpened hook and a lot of baggage. Riding the coattails of Scream‘s slasher revival just a year earlier—and sharing the same screenwriter, Kevin Williamson—the film was poised to be a hit. And it was, commercially. But critically? Not so much. Now, nearly three decades later, it’s worth asking: Was the film unfairly dismissed at the time, or does it remain a glossy relic of the teen horror boom with more style than substance?

Film

A Killer Premise Meets Classic Horror Tropes

The plot is textbook moralistic horror. Four teens—Julie (Jennifer Love Hewitt), Helen (Sarah Michelle Gellar), Barry (Ryan Phillippe), and Ray (Freddie Prinze Jr.)—accidentally kill a man in a hit-and-run after a boozy July 4th celebration. Rather than face the consequences, they dump the body and swear to take the secret to their graves. One year later, someone knows what they did—and they want revenge.

Inspired loosely by Lois Duncan’s 1973 novel of the same name, the film swaps the book’s more psychological tension for a traditional slasher framework. Gone are the emotional complexities of the source material; in their place is a rain-soaked fisherman with a hook.

The Critics Weren’t Hooked

While audiences responded favorably (it grossed over $125 million worldwide), the critical reaction was tepid at best. Reviews at the time described the film as a step backward after Scream‘s genre-savvy reinvention. Many accused it of being derivative, formulaic, and lacking the biting satire and self-awareness that had reinvigorated horror just a year earlier.

Roger Ebert gave the film 2 out of 4 stars, noting its “curious lack of wit and invention” and calling it a “dead teenager movie.” Other reviewers took issue with its pacing, wooden performances, and what they saw as an over-reliance on horror clichés.

The film’s killer, a silent fisherman with no clear identity or emotional depth, was dismissed as underwhelming—especially compared to Ghostface’s now-iconic theatrics.

The Cast, the Mood, and That Scene

Yet even amidst the critiques, certain elements stood out. The young cast was a veritable who’s who of late-’90s heartthrobs and screen queens. Jennifer Love Hewitt’s vulnerable turn as the guilt-ridden Julie, Sarah Michelle Gellar’s surprisingly layered performance as beauty queen Helen, and the smoldering presence of Phillippe and Prinze Jr. gave the film undeniable teen appeal.

The film’s aesthetic also worked in its favor. Director Jim Gillespie crafts a moody, overcast setting that drips with dread. The small fishing town becomes a character in itself—isolated, suffocating, and wrapped in coastal fog. Scenes like Helen’s chase through the alleyway and department store remain some of the decade’s best-crafted suspense sequences.

And of course, there’s the infamous “What are you waiting for?!” moment—often mocked but now iconic, thanks to its earnest delivery and meme-worthy melodrama.

Reevaluating Its Place in Horror History

With time, the initial critiques feel less damning. I Know What You Did Last Summer may not have redefined horror, but it helped solidify the blueprint for a generation of post-Scream slashers. Its influence is visible in everything from Urban Legend to Pretty Little Liars.

What once felt like a shallow cash-in now plays more like a sincere, stylish throwback to classic morality horror—updated for the MTV era. It didn’t need to be clever; it just needed to be scary and slick, and on those fronts, it mostly delivers.

I Know What You Did Last Summer may never escape comparisons to Scream, but it doesn’t have to. It carved its own path—less meta, more moody—and became a defining piece of ’90s horror in the process. Today, it stands not just as a nostalgic favorite, but as a reminder that sometimes, the straight slasher still has plenty of power. All it needs is a secret, a scream queen, and a hook.

Read about another iconic 90’s slasher HERE

Video

Encoding: HEVC / H.265

Resolution: 2160p

Aspect Ratio: 2.39:1

HDR: Dolby Vision

Layers: BD-66

Clarity/Detail: I Know What You Did Last Summer debuted on 4K UHD Blu-ray in 2022 and with this new steelbook edition, the disc remains the same.  The 2022 release sported a gorgeous filmic transfer capturing the lovely 90’s elements with a modern Dolby Vision sheen.  Details are apparent and lovingly sharp, with the softness of film grain to remind you the film is not one from the modern age.  While the movie does look decidedly mid-90’s and rightly so, the picture quality is no slouch. With the amazing looking locations and the pretty young cast to feast your eyes upon, you’re at no loss for eye candy.

Depth: Depth is the most stable it has been ever on home video here.  DVD, Blu-ray and VHS showed signs of major limitations, however 4K has rid the film of any issues and given us depth with startling accuracy!

Black Levels: Black levels are superior and deeper than ever before.  These darker moments are essential, as they are in most slasher films, so get lost in the darkness!

Color Reproduction: Colors are finally the way they were theatrically thanks to Dolby Vision’s color accuracy! Hair, clothing, skylines and more benefit from the 2022 Dolby Vision HDR pass, and thankfully we no longer have to see unnatural tones anywhere.

Skin Tones: Sun-kissed flesh tones are the name of the game and they look fabulous always.

Noise/Artifacts: None

Audio

Audio Format(s): English: Dolby Atmos, English: Dolby TrueHD 7.1, English: DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1, French: DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1, German: DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1, Spanish: DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1, Spanish: Dolby Digital 2.0, Czech: Dolby Digital 2.0, Hungarian: Dolby Digital 2.0, Italian: Dolby Digital 5.1, Portuguese: Dolby Digital 5.1

Subtitles: English, English SDH, French, German, Italian, Portuguese, Spanish, Arabic, Czech, Danish, Dutch, Finnish, Greek, Hungarian, Icelandic, Korean, Norwegian, Polish, Swedish, Thai, Turkish

Dynamics: Heads and tails above any previous mixes, the included Dolby Atmos mix for I Know What You Did Last Summer slashes its way through your speakers with excellent fidelity and discrete sound moments.  Height channels are used in subtle complimentary ways while music often benefits from the added boost of the immersive mix. Surrounds kick into high gear in tense moments and busier scenes such as a parade about an hour or so into the film.

Height: Height channels are used subtly throughout the film, such as the crashing waves of the beach featured or the quiet of the department store that Sarah Michelle Gellar’s family runs. A few killer scenes add some sound up top for added effect as well.

Low Frequency Extension: Bass response digs deep for music cues and some killer moments throughout.

Surround Sound Presentation: Surround channels work hard to wrap the music score around the listener, placing you in the car during the “last summer” sequence, and in the pageant and parade scenes too.  Sound immerses you as if you were a participant in the small town festivities and it’s a fun place to be during those moments.  In quieter scenes, the surrounds work to bring you a bit of unease.

Dialogue: Dialogue is perfectly clear at all times.

Extras

Bonus features run the gamut for this 4K edition of I Know What You Did Last Summer. Since this is essentially a repackage of the 2022 edition, there are no new features for 2025.  The steelbook includes the 4K disc, a Blu-ray and a digital code.  Artwork on the steelbook is a recreation of the original poster art along with some a still of the iconic (not Gorton’s) fisherman and his hook, and his not-so-subtle note…

Bonus Features:

4K UHD:

• Deleted Scenes (1080p, 5:06):
  • Ray and Barry Discuss Their Future
  • Stick Together
  • Fisherman at the Door
  • Barry at Hospital
  • Fishing Truck
  • The Plan
  • Original Ending
• “My Own Summer” — Interview with Director Jim Gillespie (1080p, 29:39
• He Knows What You Did — An Interview with Muse Watson (1080p, 14:43)

Blu-ray:

• Audio Commentary: Director Jim Gillespie and Editor Steve Mirkovich.
• Director’s Short Film: “Joyride.”
• Featurette: “Now I Know What You Did Last Summer.”
• Music Video: “Hush” by Kula Shaker
• Theatrical Trailer
• BD-Live
• Previews

Summary

I Know What You Did Last Summer didn’t knock critics socks off in 1997, but its audiences loved it.  The film’s longevity spawned a terribly received sequel that didn’t live up to its original.  We are also on the cusp of a legacy sequel with returning cast members.  You’d think those Tower Bay kids would learn not to drink and drive right?! At the end of the day, I Know What You Did Last Summer is one of those slasher films we watch for fun and thrills.  No high art here and its 90’s aesthetic and cast are top-notch.  Kevin Williamson was in his bag and there’s no denying that he was a key element in the horror genre in this late 90’s era.  This new steelbook will appeal to fans who love the film or for those who haven’t already got the 2022 4K release.  For those who do have that one, you may want to decide if you need a second copy or not.

Buy I Know What You Did Last Summer HERE