This text comprises spoilers for 2025’s “I Know What You Did Final Summer time.”
When “I Know What You Did Final Summer time” debuted in 1997, it was met with a blended reception by critics, however introduced in a Billy Blue-sized boatload of money on the field workplace. A $17 million capturing price range nabbed $125.3 million earlier than having fun with a large chunk of change due to the still-booming residence video rental market. A sequel was inevitable, and simply over a yr later, “I Nonetheless Know What You Did Final Summer time” hit theaters. Though boasting a ten% on Rotten Tomatoes is not one thing to put in writing residence about (or threatening letters in Sharpie, if you’ll), it was nonetheless a monetary success.
Sadly, the sequel’s less-than-stellar reception did not assist launch the collection right into a formidable franchise. The direct-to-video sequel “I will At all times Know What You Did Final Summer time” arrived almost a decade after the social gathering was over, and the Prime Video collection adaptation from 2021 was canceled after only one season.
However when it was introduced that Jennifer Kaytin Robinson was crafting a legacyquel (learn my optimistic assessment right here), and that Freddie Prinze Jr. and Jennifer Love Hewitt could be reprising their roles as Ray Bronson and Julie James, diehard followers had one query: The place is Karla Wilson? Portrayed by the Vocal Bible herself, Brandy Norwood, Karla was Julie’s roommate in “I Nonetheless Know What You Did Final Summer time.” She was lucky sufficient to outlive the return of Ben Willis/The Fisherman, and contemplating Brandy has been popping up in horror films lately, there was a hope she’d return to the franchise.
Whereas Brandy would not seem in the primary occasions of the brand new movie, she does present up throughout a mid-credits scene that not solely recontextualizes your complete tone of the legacyquel, but additionally teases the type of team-up between Julie and Karla followers have been denied by the disappointing “I Nonetheless Know.”
Why Karla Wilson is so beloved
Karla wasn’t simply Julie’s roommate; she was the primary greatest buddy she made after the homicide of her first greatest buddy, Helen Shivers (Sarah Michelle Gellar). Casting Brandy was a genius transfer as a result of it is laborious to overstate how massively fashionable she was within the Nineties. Her second studio album, “By no means Say By no means,” went licensed quintuple platinum, she was starring in her personal TV present, “Moesha,” would quickly be became a celeb doll by Barbie producer Mattel, she portrayed “Cinderella” within the now-beloved made-for-TV film for Disney, and was doing this all earlier than she turned 20. Whereas Jennifer Love Hewitt and Freddie Prinze Jr. have been teen superstars in their very own proper, Brandy Norwood was undoubtedly the purpose to point out as much as “I Nonetheless Know What You Did Final Summer time.” And though the slasher wasn’t well-received, everybody liked Karla.
Not like Sidney Prescott’s roommate Hallie in “Scream 2,” Karla would not meet her finish on account of dwelling with a ultimate woman. She was humorous, supportive, a superb scholar, ridiculously fashionable, and just a little bit naive, however armed with the one ability that almost all characters in slasher movies appear to lack: self-preservation. Karla is rightfully pissed when Julie cries out, “I simply wished it to be over, I did not need to contain anyone else,” and it is so refreshing to see a personality refuse to curb their feelings to placate the lead character. When individuals began dying, Karla by no means acted with out pondering issues via, and was proactive in attempting to get the hell out of the hazard zone quite than stick round and wait to develop into one other tally on The Fisherman’s physique depend.
Karla was put via the wringer and had extra shut calls than even Julie and Ray, and nonetheless made it out alive.
Why the mid-credits scene of IKWYDLS works so effectively
After the occasions of “I Know What You Did Final Summer time” 2025, the mid-credits scene sees Karla watching the information to see that her outdated roommate Julie James has as soon as once more escaped loss of life, this time by the hands of her ex-husband, Ray. She jokes about how hazard can not seem to depart her outdated buddy alone when there is a knock on the door. It appears as if The Fisherman could be coming to pay her a go to, however it’s Julie. The 2 outdated buddies reunite when Julie exhibits Karla that she’s obtained a word indicating that the hell is not over, and he or she wants her assist. With out hesitation, Karla asks who they must f*** up this time, teasing a reunion team-up the place Julie and Karla put an finish to The Fisherman and his copycats for good.
This second will not be solely a terrific little bit of fan service and an ideal launchpad for a sequel, however it additionally recontextualizes the movie that got here earlier than it. This isn’t a legacyquel to the primary movie, however your complete movie franchise as we all know it. It is the parallel of the brand new movie having two ultimate women as an alternative of 1, and a affirmation that the campy humor on show was intentional, as a result of it is retaining with the tone set by the second and third movies. I don’t know if we’ll get the Karla & Julie revenge thriller we deserve, however so far as mid-credits scenes go, “I Know What You Did Final Summer time” hooked an actual winner.
“I Know What You Did Final Summer time” is now in theaters all over the place.
