I really like the I Know What You Did Last Summer movies from the ’90s. They came out during the peak slasher era, where there was always a killer stalking teens, and they mixed mystery with horror, allowing you to unpack characters, stakes, and the world.

Well, like many ’90s movies, we’re back with a reboot. And it’s one I’m really excited about.

Director Jennifer Kaytin Robinson was tasked with bringing this new slasher to the screen and she recently told the Filmmaker Toolkit podcast, “I like telling stories that can be about something dark, but that have this kind of popcorn commerciality to them,” she continued, “I think all of my movies have this kind of wink to them.”

What makes me most excited about this movie is the blend of the originals with an all-new cast, taking the ethos of the story.

“I wanted it to be something that felt like a twin flame to the 1997 original,” Robinson said. “That was the place where I started. What does this look like today? What does accountability look like today? What does a story about morality look like today?”

Robinson broke into Hollywood with the Hitchcockian Do Revenge, which was a pulpy homage to Strangers on a Train, but with this movie, she was channeling Spielberg.

When asked about influences on the new movie, Robinson said, “‘Jaws was a big one.”

Movies like this have to run a delicate balance between smiles and scares.

“There are jokes in this movie, it’s fun, but I didn’t want the violence to be funny,” Robinson said. “As the movie goes deeper and our core characters are dying, I really wanted all of those moments to feel quite visceral and upsetting. But I didn’t want there to be a barrier for entry. I wanted this to be the kind of horror movie that is scary and fun, and you grab your best friend, and you’re screaming in the jump scares. It is R-rated, and I didn’t want it to feel soft, but I did want it to be a fun night out at the movies.”

To me, that’s exactly why people go to see these films, and hearing the director embrace that makes me all the more excited to see this film.

Let me know what you think in the comments.