Stiges 2025: ‘Exit 8’ Review
Stars: Kazunari Ninomiya, Yamato Kochi, Naru Asanuma, Kotone Hanase, Nana Komatsu | Written by Kotake Create, Kentaro Hirase, Genki Kawamura | Directed by Genki Kawamura
Directed by Genki Kawamura, Japanese thriller Exit 8 is based on the popular video game of the same name, which is essentially a walking game. Movies adapted from video games are notoriously terrible, but this is one of the rare exceptions, thanks to an engaging script, some inventive staging and strong performances.
Exit 8 begins on a crowded subway train, where the lead character, referred to only as the Lost Man (J-pop star Kazunari Ninomiya), hears an angry man shouting at a woman with a crying baby and does not come to her defence. Moments later, he exits the train and takes a phone call from his ex-girlfriend (Nana Komatsu), who is pregnant and at the hospital, asking for his thoughts on what she should do about it.
The Lost Man loses phone reception at a crucial moment and heads towards Exit 8 on the subway, only for the labyrinthine station corridors to become seemingly endless, with other passengers such as the Walking Man (Yamato Kochi) appearing at the same moment each time he turns a particular corner. Eventually, the Lost Man spots a poster with some rules on how to escape: if he spots an anomaly (something that is wrong or different), he has to turn back. Otherwise, he should keep going and a number that currently reads zero will eventually get to eight, allowing him to escape.
It may be relatively simplistic – as befits a video game, in fact – but the endless loop as a metaphor for being trapped in a destructive cycle of indecision at a life-changing turning point is both effective and ultimately emotionally engaging. The script is pretty on the nose about the fear and anxiety of impending fatherhood too, but it addresses this in inventively dark fashion – one of the early anomalies involves a bank of lockers, each one apparently containing a screaming baby, causing the Lost Man to panic and run away.
The puzzle-based set-up of Exit 8 recalls the likes of 1997’s cult sci-fi flick Cube, and there is a similar pleasure to be had in the audience trying to figure out exactly what’s going on, even if the film isn’t all that concerned with explaining anything other than the rules. To that end, if there’s a flaw, it’s only that there’s no real sense of playability for the audience – it might have been fun if eagle-eyed viewers had been able to spot anomalies before the Lost Man, for example.
Kawamura maintains a decent (walking) pace throughout and orchestrates a number of decent jump scares, as well as including several delightfully creepy moments, such as the Walking Man’s occasional habit of appearing directly behind the Lost Man, with a fixed smile. Kawamura also pulls off the occasional flashy set piece, most notably an extended sequence that recalls a classic moment in The Shining.
Ninomiya is terrific in the lead role, wearing an appropriately befuddled facial expression throughout. There’s also strong support from Kochi, as well as from young Naru Asanuma (in his screen debut) as The Boy, both of whom get chapters devoted to them in the script, the effect of which is like playing the game as a different character for a bit, a nice little bit of invention.
In short, Exit 8 is an engaging and enjoyable puzzle thriller that delivers suspense, jump scares and a dash of emotion. Great final shot, too.
