I Know What You Did Last Summer

What’s it about?

Set in a coastal town, I Know What You Did Last Summer follows a group of high school friends who cover up a fatal accident, only to be stalked a year later by a mysterious figure who knows their secret. With updated twists and darker themes, it reimagines the original for a new generation. A modern reimagining of the 1997 slasher classic.

The facts 

• Directed by Jennifer Kaytin Robinson
• Stars Madeline Cline (Outer Banks), Lola Tung (The Summer I Turned Pretty), Chase Sui (Bodies Bodies Bodies), Jennifer Love Hewitt (I Know What You Did Last Summer [1997]), Freddie Prinze Jr. (I Know What You Did Last Summer [1997])
• English language
• Runtime: 111 minutes
• It is a sequel to I Still Know What You Did Last Summer (1998) and the fourth instalment in the I Know What You Did Last Summer franchise.

Why did it get this rating? 

This film was classified by Te Mana Whakaatu, Classification Office. You can find out more about classification process and ratings here.

Violence and horror

A group of teenagers is hunted by a masked figure after covering up a fatal accident. The film includes intense slasher-style violence, and scenes of blood and injury, with some darkly humorous moments. There are several suspenseful chase scenes, sudden jump scares, and moments of graphic violence, like a character being slashed with a hook or attacked in a confined space. Blood is shown during the attacks, but the focus is more on tension and fear than gore. Strongest scenes include:

• Two characters are shot with a harpoon. The injuries aren’t shown in detail, but one character clearly experiences intense pain and is dragged backward.
• Several characters are stabbed and slashed with a fish-hook. One scene features a close-up of the hook piercing a character’s neck.
• Multiple bloody corpses are shown, including one with its eyeballs removed from the sockets.

Sexual material

There are a few scenes with sexual references and suggestive dialogue. One scene shows a couple kissing and undressing, but no nudity is shown. The sexual content is brief and implied and not detailed. In one scene, a woman asks a man to punish her. He says he needs a minute, which she’s fine with. He steps away and talks to himself, trying to work up the nerve to ‘choke’ her. The scene shows both characters being respectful about consent. Nothing ends up happening, and the moment has some humorous elements.

Offensive language

Offensive language is used by the characters often out of fear or anger, including words like “f**k”, “sh*t” and “c**t”.

Youth Advisory Panel

One member of the Youth Advisory Panel attended the viewing. They said that many of the murders were undetailed and bloodless and did not overall come across as scary. They said the close up of the hook going through the neck was the strongest scene. The request for choking during sex was shown to be something that the character does because of her own issues, and is not presented as a normal thing in sex, but was not sure if a younger teenager would interpret it that way.

When content stays with you: 

We all have our boundaries, and it’s completely okay if something you’ve watched is weighing on your mind. If certain content lingers with you, consider having a chat with friends or whānau to debrief about what you’ve just seen. But if you’re still feeling affected, please reach out to any of the following helplines for support.  

• 1737
• Safe to talk
• Lifeline
• Youthline

Further information 

• Why are ratings and content warnings important for me and my whānau?