Running Time: 95 Minutes
Certification: 15
Starring: Kazunari Ninomiya, Yamato Kochi, Nana Komatsu, Naru Asanuma, Kotone Hanase
For the past few decades, there has been no shortage of film adaptations of video-games. Yet, despite this, 2026 has been notably full of adaptations coming to cinemas. We are only exiting April, yet we have already seen the indie success of Iron Lung, the box-office dominance of the mediocre The Super Mario Galaxy Movie, and Return to Silent Hill existing. Exit 8 arrives next out of the gate, based on the 2023 video The Exit 8, which was created by KOTAKE CREATE.
The film opens with a first-person perspective, as we see through the eyes of a man (Kazunari Ninomiya) travelling on the subway. He is introduced scrolling through his phone while trying to ignore a nearby commotion, as a frustrated passenger shouts abuse at a mother and her crying baby. Witnessing this from the lead's perspective, viewers are made to feel complicit in ignoring the situation, something which weighs heavily on him. Exiting the carriage to head to his temp job, the protagonist answers a call from his ex-girlfriend, who shares the news that she is pregnant.
Unsure about what he should do, the lead - credited as The Lost Man - follows signs to exit 8, but he soon realises that something is wrong. The location appears to be looping, as he repeatedly walks down the same sterile corridor with the same figure (Yamato Kochi) walking past him. Once viewers have been placed within this strange situation and felt the uncertainty of what is happening, the film exits the lead's point-of-view so that viewers can take a step back. The Lost Man soon discovers a sign with rules to reach exit 8, highlighting how he must turn back if he comes across an anomaly, otherwise he must continue moving forward. It soon becomes a game of spotting anything out of the ordinary, however minimal it is, otherwise he is sent back to the beginning.
Following his previous feature, 2022's A Hundred Flowers, co-writer/director Genki Kawamura crafts a film which loops upon itself in fascinating ways. The repetition of the situation seems never-ending, a clear metaphor for how stuck life can make us feel in an everyday job. Waking up, travelling to work to perform repetitive tasks, returning home to rest before reliving it all again, it can feel like being trapped on a hamster wheel.
Adding to that unending sensation is the claustrophobic feel conveyed through the limited location, which utilises sensations of the unknown alongside familiar settings. This liminal horror offers simple ways to convey creepiness, allowing viewers to examine the surroundings to spot any potential differences. It all builds upon the established rules, luring the protagonist and the audience into a false sense of security, so that they get wrongfooted upon letting their guard down. This is not the only type of horror the film utilises, also including a loud sequence involving computer-generated rats. Credit to those involved for attempt to go larger, although these moments are less effective.
Considering the original game does not take long to complete, one lingering question was how it would fit to feature-length. There are good attempts to extend the story, particularly by offering different viewpoints, but the film admittedly struggles to fill the 95-minute runtime. Despite the looping nature of the premise, there are moments where it can feel repetitive, leaving one to believe that a stronger experience would have involved about half-an-hour being cut.
Central to his experience are The Lost Man's fears about fatherhood, as his struggles to face the impending change leaves him going in circles metaphorically and literally. While this element feels rather heavy-handed in its execution, it does feel resonant, leaving one to ponder if becoming a father is easier than trying to navigate the looping corridors. An eerie trip through a disarmingly mundane landscape, Exit 8 is an otherworldly mystery that will leave you analysing each frame.
Exit 8 is available now in UK and Ireland cinemas from Vertigo Releasing
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