All 4 I Know What You Did Last Summer Movies, Ranked

He might not have as much of a legacy as Ghostface, but the hook-wielding Ben Willis left a mark in the surge of '90s slasher movies when he told a group of irresponsible teens, "I Know What You Did Last Summer." Cutting into the competition of masked killers in 1997, the film helped boost the careers of stars like Jennifer Love-Hewitt, Freddie Prinze Jr., Sarah Michelle Gellar, and Ryan Phillippe. 

The horror franchise returned this year with a legacy sequel that (in keeping with the legacy sequel title trend) is also simply called "I Know What You Did Last Summer"). Hewitt and Prinze reprise their roles as Julie James and Ray Bronson, and a new group of teens are forced to confront past mistakes that turn a hit-and-run into a horrifying killing spree. 

Incredibly, this is the fourth movie in a series that has spanned almost three decades. There have been highs and lows, and people swearing to take things to their grave, coincidentally, before they end up in one a year later. But after all this time, which is the best of the batch and a summer worth remembering? To find out, join us as we go back to the beginning and make our way through every "I Know What You Did Last Summer" movie and revisit some decent scares and some terrifying choices, starting with one film from the franchise that you probably didn't even know existed, and honestly has no reason to.

Plenty of horror franchises have direct-to-video movies that time has forgotten, and "I'll Always Know What You Did Last Summer" is one of them. It's also a particularly low point in the series, which already has only a few highs. Released in 2006 and directed by Sylvain White ("The Losers"), the film has absolutely no connection with the movies that preceded it, bar the killer being a hook-wielding murderer in a fisherman's hat and a rain slicker, which doesn't seem like the smartest attire to wear when killing a group of twenty-somethings in the well-known maritime state of (checks notes) Colorado.

Instead of a car accident, the inciting incident that kicks off the body count in this shocking knock-off is a prank gone wrong, and those responsible are hunted down by "The Fisherman," a year later, seemingly for covering it up. While it might get marks for trying to do something different, it's a shoddy effort everywhere else, particularly when things take a supernatural turn. This time around the killer is an undead hack-and-slasher, more like The Creeper from "Jeepers Creepers" than Ben Willis. Thankfully, in the latest trip down the murderous road with 2025's "I Know What You Did Last Summer," there are no nostalgic stops off at "I'll Always Know What You Did Last Summer" — and we suggest you don't make any either.

Looking to keep up the pace with every other slasher getting a follow-up back in the '90s, the Danny Cannon-directed sequel saw Ben Willis return to leave more carefully handwritten notes and messages on fogged-up mirrors for Julie James and remind her that he still knew what she (if we're gonna get pedantic) did the summer before last. Joining the final-girl-with-a-conscience is her college dorm mate, Karla (Brandy), as well as Mekhi Pfeiffer as Karla's sexually charged boyfriend, who fills in the role of the irate doubter of the group who doesn't believe Julie's claims. All the while, Freddie Prinze Jr's Ray Bronson is doing his darndest to reach her in time and before the mild-mannered college pal — Will Benson ("get it? Ben's son!") played by Matthew Settle — gets his revenge.

Sticking to the standard sequel formula of delivering more of the same, "I Still Know What You Did Last Summer" struggles a little to back up the killer's ongoing vendetta against Julie and, in doing so, scrapes into "Scream" territory with the inclusion of forgotten family trees and illegitimate children hiding in plain sight. It might be a turning point in the wrong direction for the franchise, but it's a treasure trove of stars-in-the-making — like the Oscar-nominated John Hawkes, or Jack Black as the dreadlocked pothead Titus Telesco (a role that remains as wince-inducing now as it was back in 1998).

The first movie was bound to be high up on the list, but that still doesn't mean it isn't without its faults. While it might be as favored among slasher fans as the "Scream" franchise for some, it certainly didn't get as warm a reception back in the day, and honestly, you can kind of see why. While daring to add a killer spin on a murder mystery of sorts, "I Know What You Did Last Summer" moves at a pretty slow pace, not raising pulses as high as other horror hits that were out at the time. Nevertheless, a handful of jump scares and now iconic kills have stood the test of time, and that's mainly thanks to the small group of teens that are caught in the line of the thought-to-be dead, Ben Willis.

Between Ryan Phillippe's short-fused Barry demanding that promises be taken to the grave, and Jennifer Love-Hewitt taking her signature stance and asking what her attacker is waiting for, there's a lot to still enjoy in "I Know What You Did Last Summer." Even after 30 years it remains a fun watch, and still stands as a summer that neither we nor Julie James can ever forget.

Just like the original "I Know What You Did Last Summer" almost missed the boat on the surge in slasher movies, this legacyquel was also a little late to the party that had already spilled blood thanks to "Scream" coming back for more stabs. Even so, that doesn't stop the fun being had with Jennifer Kaytin Robinson's follow-up to this franchise, which also offers more than just a bloody reminder to follow the rules of the road.

This chapter of "IKWYDLS" plays with its history as a good legacyquel should, while still providing a different—and frankly, more believable—reaction from its characters. A year after the original event for this group, and they're still struggling to get over their experience. One of our hit-and-run heroes, Ava (Chase Sui Wonders), is punishing herself more than the original final girl ever did, and rightly so. This is a guilty bunch that deserve some punishment... though maybe not to the extreme that the new Fisherman killer takes things.

It's also a smart move to make this sequel more self-aware and funnier than the rest. Nods to the past while acknowledging how borderline ridiculous things get blends into an enjoyable formula, even before the surprise cameos (some featuring dead characters) make their appearance. As far as legacyquels go, this 2025 take is not only the best of an often dull group but also proof (via a great mid-credits scene) that there may still be a few more summers to scare us with in the future.