EXCLUSIVE: Japanese thriller Exit 8 will be opening in theaters nationwide on April 10, 2026 via Neon.
Directed by Genki Kawarmura, Exit 8 world-premiered in the midnight section of the 2025 Cannes Film Festival where it received an 8-minute standing ovation. The pic went on to play the Toronto International Film Festival, the Sitges Film Festival, the Busan International Film Festival. Currently, Exit 8 is playing at the International Film Festival Rotterdam. The thriller was a hit in its native Japan grossing over $27M. Pic’s current Rotten Tomatoes critics score is 97%.
Based on the video game created by Kotake Create, Exit 8 follows a man (Kazunari Ninomiya) trapped in an endless sterile subway passageway as he sets out to find Exit 8. The rules of his quest are simple: do not overlook anything out of the ordinary. If you discover an anomaly, turn back immediately. If you don’t, carry on. Then leave from Exit 8. But even a single oversight will send him back to the beginning. Will he ever reach his goal and escape this infinite corridor?
Kawamura has produced numerous films including Makoto Shinkai’s Your Name and Mirai, Mamoru Hosoda’s Belle and Hirokazu Kore-Eda’s Monster. He won the Best Director Award for his directorial debut A Hundred Flowers (2022) at the 70th San Sebastián International Film Festival. He also wrote the 2012 worldwide bestseller If Cats Disappeared From The World which sold over 2 million copies in 32 countries. Exit 8 is the second film he’s directed.
Pic also stars Yamato Kochi, Naru Asanuma, Kotone Hanase and Nana Komatsu. Exit 8 written by Genki Kawarmura and Kentaro Hirase. Producers are Yuto Sakata, Kenji Yamada, Akita Yamamoto, and Taichi Ito.
Last week, NEON received 18 Oscar nominations as part of the 98th Academy Awards, the second most for any motion picture studio.
Going wide on April 10 is the Black Bear Guy Ritchie directed feature In the Grey, Universal’s rom-com You, Me & Tuscany from Kat Coiro and an untitled Shudder Films theatrical release.