Introduction
Horror cinema has always thrived on the inevitability of the villain’s return. In See No Evil 3 (2025), that inevitability takes shape once more in the towering form of Jacob Goodnight, portrayed again by WWE superstar Kane. This third installment in the series attempts not only to resurrect the sadistic killer but also to expand the mythology surrounding him. As a critic who has spent years immersed in horror, I find myself both fascinated and unsettled by the choices this film makes.
Plot Overview
The film begins with a prologue that sets the tone for the terror to come. Goodnight, long thought dead or imprisoned, stages a brutal escape from a psychiatric facility where he has been held in solitary confinement. What follows is not merely a return—it is an eruption of violence, a reminder that horror’s most enduring monsters never fade quietly into the dark.
The Setting
The story relocates to a high-tech research facility constructed on the ruins of Goodnight’s original killing grounds. This new environment adds a layer of claustrophobia and irony: a place built for progress becomes a labyrinth of death. Security guards, researchers, and unsuspecting visitors find themselves pawns in a night of escalating terror.
The Characters
- Lily: A tech-savvy young woman who emerges as the emotional core of the story.
- The Security Team: Ordinary men and women tasked with keeping order, quickly reduced to prey.
- Goodnight: Not just a killer, but a force of nature—a character whose menace lies as much in his silence as in his brutality.
What Works
The film thrives in its moments of suspense. Directoral choices linger on shadow and silence, letting the anticipation of violence become as terrifying as the violence itself. The setting, with its dark corridors and flickering lights, feels like a character in its own right, shaping the horror and amplifying Goodnight’s presence.
The Horror Elements
- Atmosphere: The blend of industrial coldness and psychological dread heightens every encounter.
- Kane’s Performance: His sheer physicality lends Goodnight a weight that CGI could never replicate.
- Pacing: While some slasher films sprint from kill to kill, See No Evil 3 allows tension to simmer before it boils over.
Where It Falters
Like many sequels, the film occasionally stumbles under the weight of its own mythology. Some revelations about Goodnight’s past feel unnecessary, as if explaining the unexplainable. Horror, after all, often thrives when the darkness remains unexplored. Additionally, certain side characters are thinly drawn, serving more as cannon fodder than as meaningful participants in the story.
The Final Act
The climax delivers what fans expect: a relentless showdown between survivors and the monstrous killer. Yet it also seeks to peel back layers of Goodnight’s psyche. Whether this deepens his menace or diminishes his mystery will divide audiences. What cannot be denied is the visceral power of the final confrontation—a sequence that ensures the legacy of See No Evil continues to reverberate.
Conclusion
See No Evil 3 is not a reinvention of the slasher genre, but it does refine its familiar beats. With Kane’s commanding return as Jacob Goodnight, the film succeeds in delivering suspense, gore, and atmosphere that fans of the series crave. Like all enduring horror icons, Goodnight’s true terror lies not only in what he does but in the certainty that he will always come back. For those willing to step once more into his shadow, this third chapter offers a chilling reminder: some nightmares are built to last.