Rube Goldberg presents: I Know What You Did Last Summer

Rating: 1/10 (19 January 2020)

The Final Destination series ranks right down there with Hostel and The Purge as some of my least favorite popular horror franchises. Unlike the other two, I have no clue why this one bothers me like it does, but something about its blend of silly cgi death scenes played completely straight and obvious attempts to appeal to a more 'mainstream' (for lack of a better word) audience than most horror gets on my nerves. The premise is rather hard to take seriously, feeling rather like a mediocre Scream knock-off a la Urban Legend or I Know What You Did Last Summer, but with the killer replaced with a series of unlikely and usually fatal mishaps. Unfortunately, the film takes this silly premise too seriously, and squanders the potential for some delicious moments of black comedy. This, combined with the ugly early 2000s cgi and drab sets and lighting, leads to a dull and uninvolving viewing experience. The fact that something resembling a workplace safety video with characters and a higher budget could become so popular truly boggles the mind.