I KNOW WHAT YOU DID LAST SUMMER Episodes 1-2: A New Twist On Last Summer

In recent years, there has been a resurgence of the slasher subgenre. Yet, not in the varying forms of reboots and sequels, we have become accustomed to, but rather through the episodic reimagining that TV has evolved into over the last decade. And while not all have found their success, Scream better as a film franchise and the jury still out on Chucky, Amazon’s I Know What You Did Last Summer proves that the story can live on in streaming fashion. Hopes were not set high, yet Last Summer proves not only the evolution of media but also of a core story that was a defining aspect of a decade.

From the very beginning, I Know What You Did Last Summer reverberates its source material, sweeping shots over a cliffside, an individual overlooking the water an instant call back to the original film. Yet, where I Know What You Did Last Summer (1997) opens to a man grieving over a bottle of booze, there is a mirrored, frozen in time feeling to the young woman standing in his place. As she begins to narrate, inspiration seeps through each frame and meticulously paced moment, all while the feeling of something new takes hold. I Know What You Did Last Summer the series is all that and more.

Last Summer

The release of the first two episodes is a clever and cohesive decision by Amazon. The episodes set both the past and the present, filling in the middle during its tight 46-minute episode run times. Never rushed, but always on the move, each episode breaths new life into the tired classic. While we still know the unimaginable act these kids commit, the catalyst to their inevitable date with karma unchanging between the film and the series, what truly stands out is its new twists and turns, and its expansion of world-building in the individuals it encompasses. It is an inception of falsities, each deception a lie within a lie. And the knowledge, or lack thereof, only adds a heightened sense of discovery to the series.

It is hard to talk about the first two episodes without spoiling the deliciously cohesive twists and turns the creators have envisioned for this new take. What I can tell you is that the violence is heightened, embracing the modern generation in ways previous film reboots have only dared to embrace. While I would commend Scream 4 on its successful evolution through the use of webcams, cell phones, and apps, I Know What You Did Last Summer dives deep into the morality surrounding not only the teenagers involved but the parents who care for them. By extension, the town. As characters are plunged into a world of drugs, sex, and social media, I Know What You Did Last Summer begins to develop its own identity early.

Unfortunately, as the first episode concludes, you will figure out the twist before it is ready to reveal itself, but your disbelief at the possibility of being right will push you to keep watching. Episode 2 layers new wrinkles, compounding the twists of episode 1, all while starting to embrace the gore. And does this series ever deliver there? Two episodes in and the imagery and violence stand on its own.

A New Identity

What truly makes this a standout is the risk Last Summer takes in its attempt to create its own identity while refusing to ignore the roots and source material it is originally drawn from. Thoughts will wander to horror films both more recent and old, Black Philip from The Witch and the name “Helen” Grant a subtle nod to the 1996 film (Helen Shrivers played by Sarah Michelle Gellar), to name a few. The series also embraces a nonlinear form of storytelling that breaks itself free of the standardized slasher genre, never fully giving away the information, but leaving a bread trail for audiences to follow and piece together.

Beyond creating its own identity, Last Summer is also aware of itself. As Dillon (Ezekiel Goodman), one of the characters involved in the accident (and the series present-day Freddie Prinze Jr,’s Ray), the night of the accident he sports a shirt stating “Seeds of Compassion”. Is this a clue? Or an ironic coincidence? There is so much intention in the framing and the crafting of each episode, that it bears an extra moment of consideration.

The cast fits the standard bill for a teenage horror drama, but Madison Iseman stands out amongst her fellow actors. She is our modern-day Julie (Jennifer Love Hewitt), delivering a deeply multilayered and conflicted character whose morality has its own twists. And while speaking of her performance risks spoiling the darkest nature of the film, Iseman‘s performance is one that deserves to be called out and recognized, her duality taking the series to new heights.

Conclusion: I Know What You Did Last Summer

I Know What You Did Last Summer is the engaging and horrifying teenage horror drama of the season. It is intense and gory, delivering a new level of twists and turns that reinvigorates the original source material. Where other horror reboots via TV series have floundered under the weight of expectation and source material, I Know What You Did Last Summer delivers in its first two episodes, a promising start that heightens the anticipation for a promising finish!

The first two episodes of I Know What you Did Last Summer premiers on Amazon Prime on October 15, 2019, with new episodes released weekly!