Exit 8 (film)

Exit 8
Theatrical release poster
Japanese8番出口
Directed byGenki Kawamura
Screenplay by
  • Kentaro Hirase
  • Genki Kawamura
Based on
The Exit 8
by Kotake Create
Produced by
Starring
CinematographyKeisuke Imamura
Edited byJimmy Liu
Music by
Production
companies
  • Story Inc.
  • AOI Pro.
Distributed byToho
Release dates
  • 19 May 2025 (2025-05-19) (Cannes)
  • 29 August 2025 (2025-08-29) (Japan)
  • 10 April 2026 (2026-04-10) (North America)
Running time
95 minutes[1]
CountryJapan
LanguageJapanese
Box office$44 million[2]

Exit 8 (Japanese: 8番出口, Hepburn: Hachiban Deguchi) is a 2025 Japanese mystery psychological horror film directed by Genki Kawamura, who co-wrote the screenplay with Kentaro Hirase. It is an adaptation of the 2023 video game The Exit 8 developed by Kotake Create. The film stars Kazunari Ninomiya as an unnamed man who is caught in a looping subway corridor and must spot possible anomalies in each loop to escape.

Exit 8 had its premiere at the Midnight Screenings of the 2025 Cannes Film Festival on 19 May, and was released in Japan by Toho on 29 August. The film received positive reviews from critics and has grossed ¥5.2 billion.

Plot

While on a subway, a man (credited only as The Lost Man) witnesses another man scolding a mother for failing to calm her crying baby. The Lost Man then receives a call from his ex-girlfriend, informing him that she is pregnant with his child and asking him what to do. He loses connection while trying to exit the station, and finds himself in a deserted, endlessly looping corridor. Reading a set of instructions, the Lost Man learns that he needs to reach Exit 8 by turning back whenever the corridor has an anomaly and moving forward when there is none. Anomalies can range from faces on posters tracking his movements, to blood raining from the ceiling. Any mistake returns him to Exit 0, resetting his progress.

Upon reaching Exit 5, the Lost Man receives a call from his ex, who continues to implore him to help her reach a decision. He relays the altercation on the train that he had witnessed, recounting that nobody defended the woman, and tearfully confesses that his failure to stand up for her makes him feel unfit to be a father. His ex then appears in the corridor, revealing her to be an anomaly and thus sending him back to Exit 0.

Eventually, the Lost Man meets the Boy, a small child who had been following the Walking Man, an unresponsive entity the Lost Man sees walking down the corridor in every loop. The Walking Man used to be similarly lost, but became part of the loop after abandoning the Boy for a false Exit 8. Although initially mute, the Boy proves highly perceptive, and with his help, the Lost Man makes steady progress. The Boy gradually opens up to him, confessing that he ran away from his mother, and gives him a gastropod shell for good luck.

Upon reaching Exit 6, the corridor is suddenly flooded. After having a vision of himself, his ex, and their son—revealed to be the Boy—at a beach, the Lost Man tries to save the Boy, holding him above the water and comforting him before he himself is swept away. After regaining consciousness, the Boy turns the corner to Exit 8. The Lost Man appears a short while later; initially doubtful on whether it is the real Exit 8, he sprints toward it upon remembering the Boy's shell. This returns him to the real world, where he calls his ex, promising to meet her at the hospital. He enters the same crowded train he had taken earlier and once again witnesses the man berating the mother and her crying child. However, this time, the Lost Man turns to confront him.

Cast

Cast and crew at the 2025 Cannes Film Festival

Production

A live-action film based on The Exit 8 video game was announced by Toho on 27 December 2024,[6] with Genki Kawamura set to write, produce and direct the film,[7][8] starring Kazunari Ninomiya and Yamato Kochi as the "lost man" and "walking man", respectively.[9][10] On 1 May 2025, it was announced that actress Nana Komatsu would be joining the cast. She was cast in a mysterious role with no official name or backstory revealed at the time.[4]

Filming took place from late 2024 to early 2025 in Tokyo, mainly in a set that was built as a replica of the original game's underground passage.[11]

Ninomiya was part of the production, credited with script cooperation. As a gamer himself, and knowing the game first hand, Ninomiya provided Kawamura with tips, which were useful in adapting a non-story game into a story.[12] Ninomiya considered that in a production with many scenes featuring one person, filming would not progress smoothly if there were three directions to be taken from director, scriptwriter, and actor. In this particular production, costumes and setting remain the same, creating a loop. "That's why I felt it was necessary to organize things before filming so that there would be a single exit, and so when I was playing this role, I decided to get involved from the scriptwriting stage onwards," he said about his involvement.[13]

Cut scene

Kawamura wrote in the novelization of the movie that he cut a scene before screening it at Cannes, because he thought that it was too scary to show. Among the parts of the scene that were cut (and reserved for a possible future "director's cut" version) are the backstory of "the Walking Man"; how "the Lost Man" could become a "Walking Man"; the reason for the photobooth and the pile of discarded items; a "Homeless Man". According to Polygon, who conducted an interview with Kawamura, the scene involves "the Lost Man" looking at the images from the photos in the dispenser, with the subject's face getting distorted after each set of photos dropped. The subject was him becoming a "Walking Man". Kawamura felt that making "the Lost Man" face the dreary reality of his repetitive, boring life was just as terrifying as facing supernatural terrors.[14]

Themes

Escher's work Möbius Strip II (Red Ants), which appears on one of the set of posters on the underground tunnel wall, is considered by some reviewers a metaphor for the life of the main character, and for the lives of the many other commuters in the film. The industrious ants walk their path on the figure of eight over and over again, but ultimately get nowhere and remain trapped on their path.[15][16][17]

Boléro also features prominently throughout the film. The composition is best known for its unchanging ostinato rhythm, repeated 169 times, alongside the same melody stated again and again in the same key, mirroring the endless, cyclical nature of the game.

Release

Kawamura (yellow jacket) and The Duffer Brothers at a Q&A event for Exit 8 in Century City, Los Angeles

The first teaser trailer was released internationally by Toho in March 2025.[18] On 2 May 2025, it was announced that an eponymous novel would be published alongside the film, written by the director and writer Genki Kawamura.[19] Exit 8 was selected to be screened out of competition at the 2025 Cannes Film Festival in May 2025.[20] Following its debut at Cannes, Exit 8 was announced to be screening at many other film festivals such as the 58th Sitges Film Festival,[21][22] 2025 Melbourne International Film Festival,[23] 2025 Toronto International Film Festival,[24], the 30th Busan International Film Festival[25][26] and 55th International Film Festival Rotterdam.[27][28]

The film was released on 29 August 2025 in Japan[29], and throughout most of Europe, Asia and Canada during the rest of 2025.[30][31][32] In August 2025, Neon acquired North American distribution rights to the film, planning to release it sometime in early 2026.[33] Around the same time, CBI Pictures announced that the film would release in Indonesia on 10 September 2025.[34] In February 2026, Neon announced the film would release in North American theatres on 10 April 2026.[35][36][37]

The film was included among those to be screened in the horror genre festival Overlook Film Festival in New Orleans, United States. It was scheduled for 9 April 2026.[38][39]

As part of the film's American promotions, Kochi appeared as The Walking Man at various New York City subway stations on 8 April 2026. Visitors who approached him and said a passphrase received a prize.[40]

Reception

Box office

Released on 29 August 2025, Exit 8 had the highest three-day opening for a live-action film in Japan for the year. It sold 672,000 tickets and earned over ¥960 million (approximately US$6.46 million). It debuted at #2 for the weekend, behind Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba – The Movie: Infinity Castle.[41]

The film has also had a solid opening run in international markets. It debuted as the #2 movie in Russia[42] and Korea,[43] as well as being in the top 10 in Turkey and Hong Kong.[44][45] It has also been relatively successful in France.[46] In South Korea, it debuted at #2 behind Chainsaw Man – The Movie: Reze Arc which had a cumulative audience of 186,107.[47]

In the U.S., the film opened and remained for the first week of screening (April 10–16, 2026) on the 7th spot, continuing on the top 15 as of April 19.[48] In Mexico, the film opened on April 22, reaching the 7th spot in its first weekend. According to the report, around 33,400 people saw it, with a gross income of 2.58 million MXN (around 148,000 USD) for the period.[49]

Critical response

Metacritic review
breakdown (unweighted)

Positive
21 (78%)
Mixed
6 (22%)
Negative
0 (0%)

On the review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, 92% of 175 critics' reviews are positive, with an average rating of 7.2/10. The website's consensus reads: "An unsettling maze navigated with finesse by director Genki Kawamura, Exit 8 is a video game adaptation rendered with existential dread and stylistic sophistication."[50] Metacritic, which uses a weighted average, assigned the film a score of 71 out of 100, based on 31 critics, indicating "generally favorable" reviews.[51][52] It is the highest-rated film based on a video game on Rotten Tomatoes and Metacritic.[53]

Jonathan Romney from Screen International wrote "A rare game-based movie that actually has the feel of a game, with confoundingly tricky rules, Exit 8 should achieve solid cult status beyond Japan".[54] Clarence Tsui from South China Morning Post gave it 3 stars out of 5, stating that "Genki Kawamura has turned a simple premise – in which a player is made to run repeatedly down a short underground passage to search for a way out – into a psychological thriller exploring a man's guilt and redemption".[55]

Accolades

At the 2025 Cannes Film Festival, the film won an award for Best Poster Design.[56] Additionally, the film received an eight-minute standing ovation during its premiere at the festival.[57] The film also won Best Music for composers Yasutaka Nakata and Shouhei Amimori at the 58th Sitges Film Festival.[58]

Award / Festival Date of ceremony Category Recipient(s) Result Ref.
Cannes Film Festival 24 May 2025 Best Poster Design Exit 8 Won [56]
Sitges Film Festival 18 October 2025 Best Feature Film Nominated [59]
Best Music Yasutaka Nakata & Shouhei Amimori Won [60]
TikTok Awards Japan 5 December 2025 Hit Film category Exit 8 Won [61]
Japan Academy Film Prize 13 March 2026 Best Film Editing Sakura Seya Nominated [62]
[63]
Newcomer of the Year Yamato Kochi Won
Critics' Choice Super Awards August 6, 2026 Best Superhero Movie Exit 8 Nominated [64]
[65]
Best Actor in a Superhero Movie Kazunari Ninomiya Nominated

See also

References

  1. ↑ "Exit 8 (2026)". Irish Film Classification Office. 10 March 2026. Retrieved 10 March 2026.
  2. ↑ "Exit 8 - Box Office Mojo". Box Office Mojo. Retrieved 4 May 2026.
  3. ↑ "Exit 8 starring Kazunari Ninomiya officially invited to Cannes Film Festival's Midnight Screening section". Tokyohive. 10 April 2025. Archived from the original on 21 May 2025. Retrieved 21 May 2025.
  4. 1 2 3 Pineda, Rafael Antonio (1 May 2025). "Live-Action The Exit 8 Film Casts Nana Komatsu". Anime News Network. Archived from the original on 5 May 2025. Retrieved 31 August 2025.
  5. 1 2 "Exit 8". Cannes Film Festival. Archived from the original on 15 May 2025. Retrieved 13 May 2025.
  6. ↑ Loo, Egan (27 December 2024). "The Exit 8 Infinite-Loop Horror Game Gets Live-Action Film in 2025". Anime News Network. Archived from the original on 23 March 2025. Retrieved 27 December 2024.
  7. ↑ Navarro, Meagan (6 February 2025). "'Exit 8' Live-Action Adaptation of Liminal, Infinite Looping Horror Game on the Way from Toho". Bloody Disgusting. Archived from the original on 12 February 2025. Retrieved 23 February 2025.
  8. ↑ Goodfellow, Melanie (5 February 2025). "Goodfellas Unveils Star-Studded EFM Slate With New Films By Cristian Mungiu, Rodrigo Sorogoyen, Claire Denis, Saeed Roustaee, Mario Martone, Raoul Peck & Fresh Berlinale Acquisition". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on 17 February 2025. Retrieved 23 February 2025.
  9. ↑ Loo, Egan (27 March 2025). "The Exit 8 Live-Action Film's Teaser Announces Kazunari Ninomiya as Lead, August 29 Opening". Anime News Network. Archived from the original on 28 March 2025. Retrieved 28 March 2025.
  10. ↑ Tokunaga, Hirotaka (28 March 2025). "映画「8番出口」の主演キャスト解禁！ "迷う男"は二宮和也さん、"歩く男"は河内大和さんに決定" [The lead cast of the movie "Exit 8" has been announced! Kazunari Ninomiya will play the "Lost Man" and Yamato Kawachi will play the "Walking Man"]. Game Impress Watch (in Japanese). Archived from the original on 28 March 2025. Retrieved 28 March 2025.
  11. ↑ "『8番出口』2025年実写映画化決定。不可思議で不気味なエンドレスループ映像初公開" ["Exit 8" to be made into a live-action movie in 2025. Mysterious and eerie endless loop footage unveiled for the first time]. Dengeki Online (in Japanese). 27 December 2024. Retrieved 13 May 2025.
  12. ↑ "川村元気監督＆二宮和也インタビュー「『８番出口』の新しい作られ方」". Numero (in Japanese). 4 September 2025. Archived from the original on 6 September 2025. Retrieved 6 September 2025.
  13. ↑ "「トンチンカンにはなってました！ 」二宮和也、ループする"地下通路"での苦労を明かす。映画『８番出口』はこうして作られた". Buzzfeed Japan (in Japanese). 4 September 2025. Archived from the original on 6 September 2025. Retrieved 6 September 2025.
  14. ↑ "Here's the Exit 8 scene the director cut because it was too scary for Cannes". Polygon. 13 April 2026. Archived from the original on 14 April 2026. Retrieved 22 April 2026.
  15. ↑ "The Exit 8 movie review". LA Youth. 19 May 2025. Retrieved 31 January 2026.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: deprecated archival service (link)
  16. ↑ "Movie Review (MIFF 2025): 'Exit 8' is Disquieting and Effective". In Session Film. 14 August 2025. Retrieved 31 January 2026.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: deprecated archival service (link)
  17. ↑ "Cannes 2025: Exit 8, Eleanor the Great, Fuori". Roger Ebert. 21 May 2025. Retrieved 31 January 2026.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: deprecated archival service (link)
  18. ↑ Nightingale, Ed (28 March 2025). "Cult Japanese horror game The Exit 8 gets first film trailer". Eurogamer. Archived from the original on 13 May 2025. Retrieved 13 May 2025.
  19. ↑ "小説「８番出口」刊行決定!" [Novel ‘Exit 8’ to be published!]. Toho (in Japanese). 2 May 2025. Retrieved 13 May 2025.
  20. ↑ Mateo, Alex (10 April 2025). "Live-Action The Exit 8 Film to Screen at Cannes". Anime News Network. Archived from the original on 25 July 2025. Retrieved 30 August 2025.
  21. ↑ Mack, Andrew (16 July 2025). "Sitges 2025: First Wave Announced, Julia Ducournau's ALPHA to Open Fest". ScreenAnarchy. Archived from the original on 7 August 2025. Retrieved 30 August 2025.
  22. ↑ Tai, Anita (16 August 2025). "Spain's Sitges Int'l Film Fest to Screen ChaO, Angel's Egg, More Films". Anime News Network. Archived from the original on 15 August 2025. Retrieved 30 August 2025.
  23. ↑ Buckmaster, Luke; Sun, Michael (10 July 2025). "Melbourne international film festival 2025: the 10 movies you must see this year". The Guardian. Retrieved 30 August 2025.
  24. ↑ Kay, Jeremy (5 August 2025). "Toronto Centrepiece lineup includes 'Erupcja' starring Charli XCX, Haifaa Al Mansour's 'Unidentified'". Screen Daily. Retrieved 30 August 2025.
  25. ↑ Kotzathanasis, Panos (28 August 2025). "The 30th Busan International Film Festival Actors' House Lineup Revealed". Asian Movie Pulse. Retrieved 30 August 2025.
  26. ↑ Ramachandran, Naman (26 August 2025). "Shu Qi's 'Girl' and 'Resurrection' Among Competition Titles as Busan Film Festival Unveils Lineup for 30th Edition". Variety. Retrieved 30 August 2025.
  27. ↑ "Limelight Programme IFFR 2026". IFFR official site. Archived from the original on 29 November 2025. Retrieved 29 November 2025.
  28. ↑ @iffr; (29 November 2025). "New Limelight films for IFFR 2026" (in Japanese). Retrieved 29 November 2025 – via Instagram.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: deprecated archival service (link)
  29. ↑ "The Exit 8 Live-Action Film Coming on August 29". Play-Asia Blog. 31 March 2025. Retrieved 13 May 2025.
  30. ↑ "Exit 8: The Horror Game That Inspired a Movie". Japan Travel. 17 July 2025. Archived from the original on 21 July 2025. Retrieved 21 July 2025.
  31. ↑ "Prochainement". ARP Selection (in French). Archived from the original on 21 July 2025. Retrieved 21 July 2025.
  32. ↑ Jeong, Yujin (29 August 2025). "10월 개봉 '8번 출구', 부국제서 먼저 본다…니노미야 카즈나리 참석". News1 (in Korean). Retrieved 30 August 2025.
  33. ↑ Goodfellow, Melanie (6 August 2025). "Neon Acquires North American Rights For Cannes Midnight Hit 'Exit 8'". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on 8 August 2025. Retrieved 6 August 2025.
  34. ↑ Pineda, Rafael Antonio (22 August 2025). "CBI Pictures to Release Exit 8 Live-Action Film in Indonesia on September 10". Anime News Network. Retrieved 30 August 2025.
  35. ↑ DiVincenzo, Alex (5 February 2026). "'Exit 8' Trailer – Do Not Overlook Any Anomalies in Neon's Liminal Horror Nightmare". Bloody Disgusting. Retrieved 5 February 2026.
  36. ↑ Lussier, Germain (5 February 2026). "The First Trailer for Game Adaptation 'Exit 8' Is Seriously Creepy". Gizmodo. Retrieved 5 February 2026.
  37. ↑ Turkeltaub, Payton (5 February 2026). "'Exit 8' Trailer: A Man Is Trapped in an Endless Subway Corridor in Video Game Film Adaptation". Variety. Retrieved 5 February 2026.
  38. ↑ "Overlook Film Festival: Second Programming Wave Includes Horror Movies, Immersive Experiences and 'Interview With the Vampire' Tribute". Variety (in Japanese). 25 March 2026. Archived from the original on 7 April 2026. Retrieved 7 April 2026.
  39. ↑ "2026 Films". Overlook Film Festival official site (in Japanese). Archived from the original on 11 March 2026. Retrieved 8 April 2026.
  40. ↑ Iikura-Gross, Ken (8 April 2026). "Exit 8 Star Recreates Anomaly in New York Subways on Wednesday". Anime News Network. Archived from the original on 8 April 2026. Retrieved 9 April 2026.
  41. ↑ "Exit 8 Has Highest 3-Day Opening for Live-Action Films This Year in Japan". Anime News Network. 3 September 2025. Retrieved 4 September 2025.
  42. ↑ "И пусть удача будет с ними: новые «Голодные игры» вышли в кинотеатрах РФ". Известия (in Russian). 2 September 2025. Archived from the original on 5 September 2025. Retrieved 8 September 2025.
  43. ↑ "NEWS & REPORTS Box Office Daily". Korean Film Council. Archived from the original on 25 October 2025. Retrieved 25 October 2025.
  44. ↑ "2025 Yılı 35. Hafta Sonu Verileri". Box Office Türkiye (in Turkish). Retrieved 8 September 2025.
  45. ↑ "Hong Kong Weekly Box Office". HKTDC. Archived from the original on 16 April 2025. Retrieved 8 September 2025.
  46. ↑ Colon, Tanguy (4 September 2025). "Box-office 1er jour : Fils de en tête des suffrages". Boxoffice Pro (in French). Retrieved 8 September 2025.
  47. ↑ "'체인소맨' 10일 연속 1위·'8번출구' 2위…日영화 쌍끌이 [Nbox]". 뉴스1 (in Korean). 27 October 2025. Retrieved 27 October 2025.
  48. ↑ "Exit 8". Box Office Mojo. Archived from the original on 24 April 2026. Retrieved 24 April 2026.
  49. ↑ "Taquilla del 23 al 26 de abril 2026". Canacine (in Spanish). 27 April 2026. Archived from the original on 28 April 2026. Retrieved 28 April 2026.
  50. ↑ "Exit 8". Rotten Tomatoes. Fandango Media. Retrieved 8 April 2026.
  51. ↑ "Exit 8". Metacritic. Fandom, Inc. Retrieved 22 February 2026.
  52. ↑ "Exit 8 (2026)". Metacritic. Retrieved 22 March 2026.
  53. ↑ Zinski, Dan (10 April 2026). "New Horror Film Is Officially The Highest Rated Video Game Movie Ever On Rotten Tomatoes". ScreenRant. Retrieved 21 April 2026.
  54. ↑ Romney, Jonathan (19 May 2025). "'Exit 8' review: Tokyo's subway is an endless purgatory in 'ingenious' video game adaptation". Screen Daily. Retrieved 20 May 2025.
  55. ↑ Tsui, Clarence (19 May 2025). "Cannes 2025: Exit 8 movie review – live-action adaptation of walking simulator video game". South China Morning Post. Archived from the original on 20 May 2025. Retrieved 20 May 2025.
  56. 1 2 Zotomayor, Carlos (3 June 2025). "The Exit 8 movie wins Best Poster Design award at Cannes Film Festival". Automaton Media. Retrieved 30 August 2025.
  57. ↑ "二宮和也&小松菜奈、『8番出口』カンヌで大盛況「ほっとしています」 晴天の下で笑顔". Oricon (in Japanese). 20 May 2025. Archived from the original on 2 June 2025. Retrieved 2 June 2025.
  58. ↑ "映画『８番出口』 スペインの映画祭で最優秀音楽賞　音楽担当・中田ヤスタカたちが「感謝」". NTV News (in Japanese). Archived from the original on 21 October 2025. Retrieved 21 October 2025.
  59. ↑ "We Complete the 2025 line-up: Guillermo del Toro, Yorgos Lanthimos, Park Chan-wook, Carmen Maura, and Other Big Names in Contemporary Fantastic Genre". Sitges Film Festival. Archived from the original on 14 September 2025. Retrieved 14 September 2025.
  60. ↑ "'La hermanastra fea' d'Emilie Blichfeldt, Premi a la Millor Pel·lícula a Sitges 2025". Sitges Film Festival (in Catalan). Retrieved 18 October 2025.
  61. ↑ "嵐・二宮和也主演映画「８番出口」ヒット作品部門受賞 興収51億円突破するほど人気の理由【TikTokトレンド大賞2025】（モデルプレス）". Yahoo!ニュース (in Japanese). Retrieved 5 December 2025.
  62. ↑ "「第49回日本アカデミー賞」優秀賞＆新人俳優賞発表 吉沢亮・松村北斗・長澤まさみほか【受賞者・作品一覧】". Model Press (in Japanese). 19 January 2026. Retrieved 19 January 2026.
  63. ↑ "第49回日本アカデミー賞：最優秀作品賞は「国宝」最多10部門の栄冠に輝く(各賞一覧)". Mantan-web (in Japanese). 13 March 2026. Retrieved 13 March 2026.
  64. ↑ "1st Demon Slayer: Infinity Castle Anime Film, Exit 8 Live-Action Film Nominated for Critics Choice Awards". Anime News Network. 16 July 2026. Archived from the original on 5 August 2026. Retrieved 5 August 2026.
  65. ↑ "'Superman' & 'The Boys' Lead Nominees For Critics Choice Super Awards". Deadline. 15 July 2026. Archived from the original on 4 August 2026. Retrieved 4 August 2026.
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