I Know What You Did Last Summer - Limited Edition 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray SteelBook

As we’ve already covered I Know What You Did Last Summer, in past Blu-ray and 4K UHD releases, I don’t see any reason to retread old territory here. Mr. Duarte covered the first 4K release. I covered the Walmart Blu-ray SteelBook. My thoughts and feelings are the same as before. It’s solid slasher, not altogether scary, but it’s a fun ride all the same with some slick kills to hang your hook on. With the legacy Sequel about to open, it was fun to revisit the original. It gives me a little hope that this new film will be worth the effort (not holding my breath there, but you never know). 

Here’s our previous coverage.

My Walmart-Exclusive Blu-ray SteelBook Review

Mr. Duarte's 4K UltraHD Blu-ray Review

Mr. Bracke's Blu-ray Review 

Vital Disc Stats: The 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray 

Just when you thought it was safe to drunkenly hit a guy with your car and toss his body into the water, hoping he’s actually dead and won’t come back to kill you and your friends a year later… I Know What You Did Last Summer takes another stab on 4K UHD. This edition offers the same BD100 4K UHD disc, the same BD50 1080p disc, and a digital code slip, but pops all of these physical assets into a new SteelBook package. This SteelBook is similar to the one Walmart had for the Blu-ray, but this one is a little more subdued and doesn’t have the weird fireworks accents that always seemed out of place.

Same Video

The slasher favorite terrorizes the sleepy fishing town of Ultra HD with an outstanding HEVC H.265 encode that not only exceeds expectations but also delivers a worthy upgrade. Struck from a fresh remaster of the original 35mm camera negatives, the native 4K transfer is highly detailed with sharp, clean lines along buildings, vehicles and the streets of Southport. We can plainly make out every blade of grass and leaf in the trees while the texture and stitching in the clothing are very well-defined. A few softer moments are to be expected, given the filming style and cinematography of the period, but overall, it's a stable, satisfying video awash in a very fine layer of grain, giving that beautiful film-like quality. 

The Dolby Vision HDR presentation also comes with an excellent, spot-on contrast and brightness balance, showering the action in crisp, brilliant whites and deep, inky blacks with strong shadow delineation, providing the 2.39:1 image with a lovely cinematic appeal and a great deal of dimensionality. Specular highlights supply a sparkling, beaming sheen on watery surfaces and along metallic surfaces while the various light fixtures maintain a tight, snappy glow, exposing the finer details within the hottest areas. The overall palette also enjoys a wider, more animated array of colors, from the energetic blues of the sky and clothing to the rich, lively greens of the surrounding foliage. Meanwhile, secondary hues are fuller and dynamic with facial complexions appearing more natural and healthier in the young cast. (Dolby Vision HDR Video Rating: 92/100)

Same Audio 

The teen horror flick hooks home theaters with an equally notable and highly enjoyable Dolby Atmos soundtrack that nicely complements the grim, hair-raising visuals. 

Right from the opening moments with the Type O Negative song and sounds of the coast, imaging feels expansive with lots of background activity and a sharply detailed mid-range exhibiting superb clarity and clean differentiation between the softest and loudest segments without the slightest hint of distortion. While keeping much of the action within the front soundstage, the object-based remix also displays superb channel separation and movement across the fronts with marvelous off-screen effects while maintaining precise, well-prioritized vocals in the center. Several moments discretely bleed into the heights, creating a highly engaging half-dome effect. The low-end could be stronger and more demanding, but bass is nonetheless palpable, adding a hefty, weighty presence to the action and music. 

On the whole, rear activity is often more silent than not, which is not an entirely bad thing, as mentioned above. Still, when the surrounds and overheads are employed, the room bursts with life as debris, fireworks and other atmospheric effects of the coastal town effectively spread across the ceiling speakers. Action sequences reveal outstanding directionality and flawless panning, generating a satisfying hemispheric soundfield, and the score arguably makes the best use of the format, spreading into the front heights and surrounds to create a larger soundscape. (Dolby Atmos Audio Rating: 88/100)

Same Extra Features

4K UHD Disc

• My Own Summer (HD, 30 min) is an interview with director Jim Gillespie
• Deleted Scenes (1080i/60, 5 min)
• He Knows What You Did (HD, 15 min) is an interview with actor Muse Watson

Blu-ray Disc

• Audio Commentary with director Jim Gillespie and editor Steve Mirkovich
• Now I Know What You Did Last Summer (SD, 27 min)
• Short Film (SD, 18 min) by Gillespie, titled "Joyride"
• Music Video (SD): Kula Shaker performing their song "Hush"
• Trailers (HD)

I Know What You Did Last Summer is one of those post-Scream slashers that is pretty decent - it helps that Kevin Williamson penned the script. The fishman's look might not be the most imposing, but the idea of a killer coming back a year later for revenge was a fresh spin. It’s not an idea I feel holds up for sequels, and I have reservations about the upcoming legacy sequel, but I’ll still find my seat in the theater all the same. As for the original, it still has some bite, and it’s a good bit of fun. Best of all, it looks and sounds great on 4K with an impressive Dolby Vision transfer and Atmos audio. Bonus features are decent overall, but all archival at this point, and nothing so dramatic or interesting to feel the need to revisit them. But now we have a new SteelBook package to look at. If you already have the 4K release, you’re not getting anything new. If you still need the film for the collection, this new SteelBook is a nice piece and worth considering. Recommended