Exit 8 review: Creepy video game adaptation that should’ve been a short

The movie ‘Exit 8’ is inspired by a video game where a commuter is trapped in a never-ending underground cycle. While the film expands on the game’s simple idea with some interesting twists, it ultimately feels like a concept that works better as an interactive game than as a movie.

When indie game ‘The Exit 8’ came out in 2023, it was described as a walking simulator. However, the game from Kotake Create offered much more than just a simple walk, creating a growing feeling of unease and prompting players to question their own existence.

The game featured your character navigating a circular Japanese subway station, searching for anything unusual as a way to escape. This unsettling idea turned out to be incredibly challenging and surprisingly captivating.

This film version generally follows a similar pattern, but it expands on the story with additional background details, told through the character known as ‘The Lonely Man.’

What is Exit 8 about?

The film begins during the hectic evening commute on a Japanese train. We’re introduced to a man, later known as The Lonely Man (played by Kazunari Ninomiya), who is lost in his phone and listening to Ravel’s ‘Bolero.’

He sees a man yelling at a woman who’s holding a crying baby, but like everyone else around him, he ignores it. He simply gets off the train and goes to work.

While navigating the complicated tunnels of the subway, he got a call from his ex-girlfriend with important news. However, the call dropped right as he noticed he was walking through a hallway that seemed to loop back on itself.

As the Lonely Man drives past the Exit 0 sign, everything seems to repeat: the same posters, the same photo booth, and even the same cheerful businessman. The hallway stretches on and on, stuck in a never-ending loop.

He attempts to go back, but the hallway strangely repeats itself. The exit number changes from 0 to 1, hinting at a possible escape. It’s then that he notices the rules.

Being a passive observer

The man, lost and suffering in a cruel and confusing maze, feels a glimmer of hope when he finds helpful directions written on a wall.

The sign warns you to pay close attention and report anything unusual. If you notice something strange, turn around right away. If everything seems normal, continue forward and exit through Exit 8.

This is when the movie transforms into a mystery, challenging both the main character and the viewers to pay close attention and figure things out.

We can follow the story of the Lonely Man as he encounters various signs, posters, and that unsettling smiling figure. However, because we’re just watching and not participating, it can often be a frustrating experience.

Separating film from game

The trailer for ‘Exit 8’, a movie inspired by the video game of the same name, is now available. The film centers on a man trying to find his way out of an underground subway station, specifically searching for the elusive ‘Exit 8’.

— TopMob (@TopMob) February 5, 2026

This adaptation heavily focuses on the game’s core elements. However, director Genki Kawamura, along with co-writer Kentaro Hirase, has developed a script that actually builds a story around that foundation.

We won’t give away any specifics, but the events at the beginning of the film are connected to the ending, creating a satisfying and complete story.

The movie is split into three parts: the story of a lonely man, then the tale of an office worker known as ‘The Walking Man,’ and finally, a section focused on a young boy who may be crucial to understanding the film’s main mystery.

Although these stories connect as the main character wanders through his underground world, many things remain unclear or open to interpretation, preventing them from fully coming together.

Influence of The Shining and more

The movie Exit 8 clearly draws inspiration from The Shining, especially its iconic scenes of Danny riding his tricycle through the Overlook Hotel. You can also see a visual reference to the famous elevator scene from Stanley Kubrick’s classic horror film.

The story begins like a video game, putting you directly into the perspective of the main character, the Lonely Man. This immersive opening helps you understand his experience before the narrative shifts to a more traditional storytelling style.

The filmmakers were clearly inspired by the dreamlike art of M.C. Escher. His famous print, Möbius Strip II, with its iconic ‘Red Ants’ endlessly walking in a loop, even appears as a mural in the subway, visually representing the main character’s disturbing and repetitive reality.

The idea of “liminal spaces” contributes to the uneasy feeling, and it’s disturbing to spend so much time in bland, brightly lit, and empty environments like those with white tile walls.

Although Exit 8 presents some truly unsettling and disturbing images – think giant rats, babies in lockers, and blood dripping from the ceiling – it surprisingly doesn’t manage to be genuinely frightening, and that’s a bit of a letdown.

Is Exit 8 good?

Exit 8 isn’t a bad movie, but it doesn’t quite reach its full potential. The filmmakers deserve credit for attempting to stretch a simple concept into a full-length feature, though it ultimately feels like a difficult task that wasn’t entirely successful.

Exit 8 is visually impressive, particularly if you’re not familiar with the original work. The acting is also strong, and Ninomiya is a charming lead who will keep you invested in the story until the very end.

This new storyline lets the film explore relatable human feelings and ideas, like dealing with guilt, overcoming insecurity, and making tough choices, as well as discovering courage, taking ownership, and figuring out what truly matters in life.

However, these ideas aren’t fully explored, and the connections between them remain weak. This results in a horror film that’s more about simply observing things than anything truly frightening.

Although Exit 8 has interesting ideas and tries to do a lot, it doesn’t fully succeed, and the original story might have worked better as a shorter piece.

Exit 8 score: 3/5

Exit 8 is in US screens on April 9, 2026, while it hits US screens on April 24, 2026.

2026-04-09 17:52