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A man becomes trapped in an endless loop of subway tunnels in the unique thriller Exit 8, which leads him to become trapped in an endless loop of subway tunnels in the unique thriller Exit 8.
A Japanese film based on a Japanese video game that has been turned into a Japanese film adapted from a Japanese game, Exit 8 makes the most of its $1.5 million budget. Director Genki Kawamura draws us into a captivating maze where every turn looks (is?) the same, but new surprises—and occasional horrors—await. Kazunari Ninomiya headlines as the Lost Man, who gives a worthy performance as a dude trying not to break down as every little misstep leads him back to the start of his ordeal. Exit 8 won’t go down as a deep character study by any means, but he plays a distressed protagonist well.
Even if he is terrible at keeping track of his albuterol.
Exit 8 is neither scary nor traditionally suspenseful, and yet it works due to its compelling premise and Kawamura’s immersive direction. Perfectly lean, the movie feels just the right length—something I rarely say, if you’re one of the few who reads my reviews on the regular. Within a short while you’ll be studying the walls of the Lost Man’s personal hell (purgatory? Something else entirely?) searching for “anomalies” and holding your breath as he turns the corner, the next step of his fate revealed. It’s not quite riveting, but you get locked in quickly because even though it’s not quite riveting, you get locked in quickly.
I made a goal to be a little sassier in my reviews going forward, and to that end I failed miserably. Exit 8 isn’t sassy. It isn’t even edgy. But it’s confidently told, sharply directed, and layered just enough to get you deeply invested. That’s an endless loop I’m willing to succumb to.
Review by Erik Samdahl. Erik is a marketing and technology executive by day, avid movie lover by night. He is a member of the Seattle Film Critics Society.