At the time of its release, “I Still Know What You Did Last Summer” felt like a worst-case-scenario sequel to the unchallenging but satisfying original: The plot is little more than a retread of the first (albeit set in the Bahamas instead of North Carolina), the returning characters from the original are rather uninteresting, and the new ones are mostly irritating. In retrospect however, it’s not bad even if it doesn’t reach the same standard as its predecessor. Jennifer Love Hewitt is no theatrical leading lady and Freddie Prinze Jr’s momentary box office viability is a relic best left to the 1990s, and the movie struggles around its weak central performers, who are not helped by obnoxious series additions Brandy and Mekhi Phifer. But there’s an overall anything-can-happen vibe that blesses the movie with an unusually potent menace, and the isolated setting is a nice touch that lends the movie an oppressive mood that the climax benefits from. It’s nothing to write home about, but it’s aged surprisingly well.
Rating: ★★★ (out of 5)
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