The Exit 8

This absolutely briliant movie in a way it is made and shot. The camera plays a tricks on you, builds incredible tension, lets you looking for "anomalies" just like the characters do so you truly become ingaged in the story.

"Exit 8" is a smart and inventive project that makes the most of its minimalism.

Men, don't worry - you get your moment in cinema too.

Male suffering is rarely the focus in horror-at least not without punishment, ridicule, or monstrosity attached. "Exit 8" shifts that. It offers a vision of masculine fear that's quieter, more existential, and no less devastating.

"Exit 8" is a 2025 Japanese psychological horror film written and directed by Genki Kawamura-known for emotionally resonant dramas like "If Cats Disappeared from the World"-makes a surprising but confident leap into mind-bending terror, based on the 2023 indie video game The Exit 8, developed by Kotake Create.

If you've heard of or played the game, you'll know the premise: A man is trapped in an endless, sterile subway passageway. His goal? Find Exit 8.

The rules are deceptively simple: Don't overlook anything out of the ordinary. If you spot an anomaly, turn back immediately. If not, keep moving. Only then will you escape through Exit 8.

But one wrong move, one missed clue, and you're back to the beginning.

The film sticks to this eerie structure and runs a lean 95 minutes, testing your nerves as much as the protagonist's. You're not just watching...you're playing along, scanning each frame for the uncanny, the out-of-place, the abnormal.

The setting-a cold, fluorescent-lit corridor that feels clinically infinite-becomes a character in itself.

This isn't gore-soaked horror. It's psychological terror-the kind that seeps into your bones.

Paranoia escalates in a relentless loop, echoing cult classics like "Cube," "Run Lola Run," or "Dead End." The idea of escape seems less like a possibility and more like a fading memory. But...

While it's clearly a game adaptation, "Exit 8"rises above expectations. It's easily one of the best video game-to-film translations I've seen.

That said, making a bad film out of this concept would've almost required a deliberate effort-the source material is already packed with atmosphere.

Yet Kawamura doesn't just adapt-he expands.

In the tradition of films like "Pulse" and "Cure," "Exit 8" favors mood and psychological disintegration over jump scares or gore.

The film dives deep into the grind of modern Japanese urban life-and by extension, modern life everywhere. Wake up. Get dressed. Commute. Work. Return home. Face societal expectations to settle down, have children, build the dream.

But what if that dream isn't yours? What if you're stuck in someone else's loop?

What makes "Exit 8" especially compelling is how the endless underground corridor seems to represent not just a physical trap, but a psychological one-the inner landscape of a man torn between duty, expectation, and personal truth.

It's worth noting that the film opens with a cryptic phone call from his girlfriend, the true meaning of which slowly emerges as the story unfolds.

These themes have often been explored through female narratives-which are vital-but rarely are men allowed to be vulnerable protagonists in this kind of psychological horror.

Men, too, are bound by expectations that can quietly unmake them.

As for the filmmaking itself-it's stellar. The cinematography and production design conjure a surreal, almost dreamlike atmosphere from the most mundane of settings. It's a haunting visual paradox.

The performances are quietly captivating, with Kazunari Ninomiya delivering a nuanced portrayal that balances desperation with quiet resolve. Yuki Kochi, in a supporting role, adds an unpredictable energy that keeps you on edge.

In the end, "Exit 8" is a devilishly engrossing piece of existential dread horror. It's smart, stylish, and unsettling-culminating in a finale that forces both the Lost Man and the viewer to ask:

Why leave? And what are you really escaping from?

I'm surprised that I was genuinely invested in the story from the start and completely blown away by how impressive it is. You know why? Okay, so this movie is based on the 2023 Japanese horror game of the same name, and there's no actual plot in the game itself; you just have to find anomalies to escape this never-ending passageway. I mean think about it, how one could make a movie based on a video game with no real narrative and not even a character to be developed in the first place?. Well, director Genki Kawamura and co-writer Kentaro Hirase obviously took what's already been in the game, and they expanded it and deepened the mystery very brilliantly. Knowing how the gameplay is, you'll probably expect this to be a long, tedious movie. I kid you not, I didn't find myself in a position where I was about to be bored as hell. Also, what's great about the script is that they took us back and forth to three different characters' POV in this hellhole, which makes the whole experience even more exciting. This movie is so good at evoking the feeling of frustration and despair in the act of possibly the worst situation a person could be in.

Not mentioning Exit 8' undoubtedly excellent technical feats would be downplaying its strongest aspect. It's obvious that they don't have a big amount of budget, and some scenes definitely show, but honestly, I was baffled by how they approached it. The close-ups and tracking shots really put us there to be in the moment with these people, the use of Steadicam and seamless editing heighten the immersion. Exit 8 has a "videogame adaptation" written all over it, essentially capturing basically everything that the source material has to a great extent.

I knew they would add sub plots, but there is no indication that the protagonist of the game had asthma. This guy coughs so much you would assume he had covid 19. It doesn't drive up tension, it's just unrealistic and irritating. I'm otherwise enjoying the movie, but i come back to reduce the score every time this happens.

Edit: this "sub plot" thankfully stops about half way through, but there is basically zero explanation as to why. Maybe the asthma was an anomaly. The movie is overall a decent way to spent 90 minutes, and didnt waste too much time given that the subject matter can be completed in 10 minutes.

I admit I get scared easily even though I love horror games (can't play them myself) and movies. My bf dragged me out to the cinema and so I didn't know about the source material but I had a feeling it has a video gamey feel to it, especially the first person perspective in the beginning and the anomaly rules presented (man I love creepy signs). The first half was immersive and I was genuinely engaged, however the second half was meh. The ending especially was disappointing. Also there are five characters in the movie, and we get 3 male POVs, but no female POVs. They are left just as side characters. Maybe the director wanted to explore the male POV more but even so it's not really explored is it? A difficult question is raised but there's no answer and nothing changes in the end and I'm not a fan of a culmination like this. It's not mysterious or an open ending too.

All in all 6/10.