6/10

WWE Films reprises the horror film from eight years ago that is arguably their best film to date. See No Evil 2 revives the nightmare of the first film when Jacob Goodnight (Kane) rises from the dead in the city morgue after his killing spree at the Blackwell hotel. In this ominous, underground locker for the dead, a group of medical students fight to survive as this deranged psychopath once again starts to pick them apart one by one and make them pay for their supposed sins. As a fan of old school horror films, i found the first “See No Evil” to be violently refreshing in an era where horror films settle for cheap jump scares or lack of character build. I can pleasantly declare that “See No Evil 2” is just as patietnly written as it’s predecessor. The first act of this film takes it’s time with a couple characters back stories. They aren’t your typical strong and heroic bunch, but it’s because of that you will no doubt support these characters and their well being. The second act brings the violence and action full force with many fast paced chase scenes down a dark corridor of an abandoned hopital. Horror film fans will recognize some great casting choices in Danielle Harris (Halloween franchise) and Katherine Isabelle (Ginger Snaps) to the cast. Isabelle in particular always plays a character that pushes her psychological depth, and this movie is no exception. What comes off at first as “Just another bimbo”, is played with perfect execution. I believe there are few horror actresses in the game today that play a helpless girl being chased better than Katherine. Without it, many horror movies fail at making it’s audience believe the terror that they are trying to convey. Kane is perfect for this role, as just looking at him makes you think of the strong bodied killers like Michael Myers or Jason Voorhees. He is believable in the role even if his character isn’t written with the most intriguing of backstories. I relate Jacob Goodnight to the overall way i felt about both of these films. Good enough ideas, but not something i would necessarily care to see drawn out into four or five films. I think this franchise is acceptable enough at two films, and i hope they leave it that way. The blood/gore level is exceptionally well for such a small budgeted horror film. The way The Soska Siblings shoot the film is stylishly terrifying, and gives them a young, fresh voice in a dying art (Both figuratively and literally). There is some faily obvious foreshadowing in the film that i would’ve stayed away from, but it’s a small criticism in an otherwise bloody treat. I think horror films is something WWE Films should stick with (Leprechaun excluded). The wrestling world is filled with big bodies, and if the scripts are as honorable to 80’s horror films as this one is, then i am all for it. “See No Evil 2” won’t win any end of the year awards from me for best film, but i can safely recommend it above “Ouija”, “Exists”, “Annabelle”, or “Tusk”. It’s a movie that knows how to do horror well, and sometimes it comes from the most unlikely of places.