I Know What You Did Final Summer time’s Mid-Credit Scene Pays Good Homage To A Horrible Film

This text incorporates 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 taking pictures funds nabbed $125.3 million earlier than having fun with a large chunk of change due to the still-booming dwelling 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 jot down dwelling 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 All the time Know What You Did Final Summer time” arrived practically a decade after the get together 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 motion pictures 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 entire tone of the legacyquel, but additionally teases the type of team-up between Julie and Karla followers had been denied by the disappointing “I Nonetheless Know.”

Karla wasn’t simply Julie’s roommate; she was the primary finest good friend she made after the homicide of her first finest good friend, Helen Shivers (Sarah Michelle Gellar). Casting Brandy was a genius transfer as a result of it is arduous to overstate how massively well-liked she was within the Nineteen 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 was 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. had been teen superstars in their very own proper, Brandy Norwood was undoubtedly the rationale to point out as much as “I Nonetheless Know What You Did Final Summer time.” And though the slasher wasn’t well-received, everybody beloved Karla.

In contrast to Sidney Prescott’s roommate Hallie in “Scream 2,” Karla would not meet her finish on account of residing with a closing lady. She was humorous, supportive, a very good pupil, ridiculously trendy, and somewhat 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 needed it to be over, I did not wish to contain anyone else,” and it is so refreshing to see a personality refuse to curb their feelings to placate the lead character. When folks began dying, Karla by no means acted with out pondering issues via, and was proactive in making an attempt to get the hell out of the hazard zone slightly than stick round and wait to grow to be 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.

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 previous 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 previous good friend 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 previous pals reunite when Julie reveals Karla that she’s obtained a be aware indicating that the hell is not over, and he or she wants her assist. With out hesitation, Karla asks who they should 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 isn’t solely an excellent 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 entire movie franchise as we all know it. It is the parallel of the brand new movie having two closing women as a substitute of 1, and a affirmation that the campy humor on show was intentional, as a result of it is protecting 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 in all places.