When a simple man gets off the subway to walk to his job, an ordinary part of his day turns into a mysterious grasp for understanding and survival. Walking through the rectangular tunnels of the subway station, the leading man (Kazunari Ninomiya, "Letters from Iwo Jima," 2006) realizes the tunnels keep going and going and going. Where is the exit? Where are other people? How can this lost man emerge from this underground space and return to the ground level of regular life? This strange situation is the premise of the Japanese drama, "Exit 8" directed and co-written by Genki Kawamura. This man directed the heartbreaking coming-of-age drama, "Monster" (2023) featuring an impressively intricate narrative and beautifully youthful performances.
The lost man in this film doesn’t even have a name. He’s literally listed in the film’s credits as “Lost Man”. This touch, along with the repeating grids of white tiles, create an impersonal, sterilized setting where individualism is a nuisance and falling in line is the rule. Through the signage on a wall, the Lost Man learns new rules in this liminal world. If he notices an anomaly inside the subway station, he should turn back. But if everything looks like business as usual, he should keep walking. If he follows these rules, the Lost Man can move through the right levels to possibly reach the exit.
The more this story unfolded, the more I thought, “How is this film going to remain interesting and fun with so much repetition and only one character?” Thankfully, that interest does stay alive when the Lost Man discovers other people are stuck in similar loops of this subway station trying to escape. Is the Lost Man dreaming? Has he died and is navigating the afterlife? Is he hallucinating after losing his mind?
No clear answers are given in "Exit 8." But the journey the Lost Man goes through is unpredictable and obscure as he’s forced to face his fears and revisit past memories. Because this film centers on a bizarre liminal space with nebulous powers, it, of course, reminds me of the hit psychological horror film "Backrooms" which opened at the end of May this year. But "Exit 8" is not what I would call a thriller or a horror. It doesn’t have as much of a dangerous edge as "Backrooms" does. But that doesn't mean this film is without creative merit deserving of our attention. "Exit 8" is more like a contemporary fantasy exploring the mundane moments of life, the monotony of daily routines, and the persisting feelings of emotional isolation.
"Exit 8" was initially released in Japan in August 2025 and then had a limited release in the U.S. in April this year. And we all know how limited releases work, right? Very few people see them on the big screen. But "Exit "8 got a well-deserved release in July this year on the streaming platforms Shudder and AMC+. So if you enjoy working through brain teasers and riddles, this is the film for you. No casual viewing can be had with this one. You have to pay close attention.
"Exit 8" is adapted from the 2023 video game "The Exit 8," a short walking simulator game inspired by constructed Japanese interiors. This video game adaptation is clear since this film functions like a visual game watching the player walk through the same corridor again and again but also watching for oddities that might stick out.
This feeling of moving through a game keeps "Exit 8" an engaging, uniquely alluring film experience. The moral thesis at the end is far too heavy-handed. Otherwise, this is an inventive, mentally compelling film that works to keep you on your toes and has the potential to hypnotize movie lovers. It’s like the TV series "Severance" (2022- ) meets the Greek mythology tale of the labyrinth. Confusion will abound with this one but so will some clarity about our individual role in today’s world.
