I Still Know What You Did Last Summer 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray Review

Sony's 4K UHD Blu-ray release of "I Still Know What You Did Last Summer" delivers an impressive leap in video quality, offering a striking visual enhancement over the original Blu-ray. The new 2160p/Dolby Vision presentation transforms the film with significantly improved detail and texture. The native 4K transfer, derived from a remaster of the original 35mm camera negatives approved by director Danny Cannon, ensures a sharp, filmic image with consistent grain that spikes slightly in darker scenes. The Dolby Vision grading enhances the color palette, delivering vivid and exact colors with solid black levels and balanced skin tones. Daytime exteriors and well-lit interiors showcase a stable color palette without noticeable artifacting, further elevating the viewing experience.

The HEVC H.265 encode stands out with its stunning clarity, capturing every minute detail from raindrops to character expressions. The Dolby Vision HDR brings the tropical setting to life, featuring a richly saturated palette that creates a stark contrast between the lush environment and the film's horror elements. The vividly animated reds of blood against the tropical backdrop are particularly striking. Contrast settings are perfectly managed with clean, brilliant whites and radiant specular highlights that add dynamic energy to the brightest spots, complementing the inkier black levels that enhance the suspenseful atmosphere. This meticulous attention to gradational differences in various shades imbues the 2.39:1 image with three-dimensional depth and a cinematic quality.

Overall, this release showcases Sony's commitment to excellence in 4K disc production. By eschewing print flaws and encode artifacts, the film now boasts a lush, natural grain that delivers a genuine film-like experience. This presentation is a standout, demo-worthy addition to any HDR collection, affirming its status as the best way to experience "I Still Know What You Did Last Summer".

The 4K UHD Blu-ray release of "I Still Know What You Did Last Summer" boasts a significant upgrade in its audio presentation, featuring a highly impressive Dolby Atmos soundtrack. This new track enhances the film's auditory experience with remarkable clarity, depth, and immersive quality. The expanded channels deliver a fuller, richer soundscape, providing a more engaging audio experience than the previous Dolby TrueHD mix. The dialogue remains clear and centered throughout, even during loud, chaotic scenes, ensuring that every line is easily understandable.

The Dolby Atmos upgrade particularly shines in scenes that demand heightened atmospheric awareness. For example, an early rave scene immerses the listener with well-balanced elements and dynamic spatial awareness, utilizing surround back and overhead channels effectively to create an exciting environment. Action-horror elements benefit from superior bass response and total stage saturation, with music being big, immersive, and precise. The overhead channels, while not frequently delivering discrete effects, contribute significantly to pulling the listener into the film's world and score.

Additional enhancements include a broad and expansive half-dome soundstage with excellent channel balance and fidelity. The mid-range is extensive, providing clarity and distinction in the upper frequencies while maintaining well-prioritized vocals. Although the low-end is robust but not particularly standout, it adds weight and presence to action scenes and musical selections, delivering a few satisfying, couch-shaking moments. The surrounds and heights are employed with excellent directionality and flawless movement, filling the room with faint island atmospherics like trees rustling, crashing thunder, and pouring rain. Overall, this Dolby Atmos mix is a noteworthy improvement, generating a highly satisfying hemispheric soundfield that significantly enhances the viewing experience.

Sony’s 4K UHD release of "I Still Know What You Did Last Summer" offers a robust set of extras that will please fans of the franchise. On the UHD disc, new features include a commentary track from director Danny Cannon, although his delivery is slow and monotone, as well as an engaging interview with Muse Watson, who shares insightful behind-the-scenes anecdotes from his time filming as the hook-wielding villain. The Blu-ray disc retains the original supplements, providing a deeper dive into the making of the film. This release also includes a Movies Anywhere digital code and arrives with a slipcover.

Extras included in this disc:

Commentary: Director Danny Cannon provides a new audio commentary. He Still Knows What You Did: Interview with Muse Watson, discussing his role and filming experiences. Making-of Featurette: Cast and crew discuss the film's plot and production. Music Video: “How Do I Deal” by Jennifer Love Hewitt. Theatrical Trailer: Original trailer for the movie.

Picking up a year after the original, "I Still Know What You Did Last Summer" sees the return of the infamous hook-wielding Fisherman (Muse Watson), who continues to terrorize Julie James (Jennifer Love Hewitt). The sequel shifts much of its focus to a suspense-filled narrative set against the deceptively serene backdrop of a remote Bahamian island. The young ensemble cast, including Freddie Prinze Jr., Brandy, and Mekhi Phifer, deliver commendable performances, though they are oddly overshadowed by a memorable cameo from Jack Black as a Rastafarian wannabe. The inclusion of Jeffrey Combs as the ill-tempered hotel manager also adds an unexpected layer of comic relief amidst the dread.

This second installment helmed by Danny Cannon does not quite match the tension and scares of its predecessor. However, it successfully maintains a sense of continuous dread, effectively using the tropical setting as a unique twist in the slasher genre. Vernon Layton’s cinematography captures the lush island landscape beautifully while enhancing the suspense through well-executed camera work. Adding to the immersive experience, Sony's Ultra HD Blu-ray release of the film markedly improves upon its previous lackluster presentations, offering 2160p/Dolby Vision video and Dolby Atmos audio, thus providing a richer auditory and visual experience.

In essence, despite being overshadowed by the original film, "I Still Know What You Did Last Summer" still manages to deliver an entertaining mix of horror and mystery. Its atmospheric sequences coupled with nuanced performances make it a worthwhile watch, particularly in this newly restored 4K UHD format that brings out every intricate detail of the lush Bahamian surroundings and enhances the overall cinematic experience. While it may feel like a repeat of its predecessor at times, it still stands as a chilling continuation that keeps viewers engaged until the final credits.

"I Still Know What You Did Last Summer" returns in a 4K UHD Blu-ray/Blu-ray/Digital release from Sony Pictures Home Entertainment, marking its 25th anniversary with impressive technical enhancements. The film, which picks up a year after its predecessor, offers familiar slasher tropes with a tropical twist but fails to match the suspense and creativity of the original. While the movie itself remains unexceptional, showcasing a predictable plot and underwhelming scares, this release significantly elevates the viewing experience through its demo-worthy Dolby Vision HDR presentation and reference-quality Dolby Atmos soundtrack.

The 2160p resolution is a considerable upgrade, transforming the dated visuals of the original Blu-ray into crisp and vibrant scenes that intensify the atmospheric mood. The Dolby Atmos audio track enhances the film with immersive soundscapes, adding depth and clarity that were previously lacking. While the narrative is often criticized for its lack of originality and engaging content, these technical improvements create a more compelling viewing experience for fans and newcomers alike. Additionally, the inclusion of two new supplementary features on the UHD disc provides further value, although the bonus material selection overall remains relatively limited.

In conclusion, "I Still Know What You Did Last Summer" is an unremarkable follow-up to its more popular predecessor. It debuts on Ultra HD Blu-ray in celebration of its 25th anniversary with exceptional Ultra HD video, solid lossless sound, including an engaging Dolby Atmos listening track and new/legacy supplements. Diehard series fans can feel free to add this one to their collection.