3 years ago, Kotake Create made The Exit 8, an improbably simple game that quickly went viral, and just as quickly confirmed itself completely unfilmable as a movie. But now, against the odds, Exit 8 is here from Genki Kawamura, and it might well be both the most impressive video game adaptation I’ve ever seen, and one of the most creative and interesting psychological thrillers. It shouldn’t work, but unlike countless other video game adaptations that have spent way more money and rounded up far more well-known talent, it’s actually good. Great even. So great, in fact, that I imagine Hollywood’s already considering making a completely unnecessary remake.
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Exit 8 is, frankly, a strange movie. It doesn’t have a story as much as it has a simple, weird idea. In almost every other case, you’d probably expect something so conventionally “thin” to be a short film, but remarkably, at a nose from 90 minutes, this surprising little gem doesn’t come close to outstaying its welcome. When you consider that all that happens is a man (Kazunari Ninomiya) walks endless corridors looking for anomalies that give him a hint to turn around, until he eventually gets to the 8th exit and freedom, that’s pretty remarkable. There’s more along the way, of course, including repeated encounters with an “entity” known as The Walking Man (Yamato Kochi) and The Boy (Naru Asanuma), but it’s an achievement in not-storytelling the likes of which you’ll rarely see.
Rating: 4 out of 5
| PROS | CONS |
|---|---|
| Impressively never outstays its welcome despite a very simple premise | The sparse CGI isn’t the best (look out for the rats) |
| Brilliantly atmospheric and deeply creepy | The Lost Man’s asthma performance is a little cartoonish |
| Surprising philosophical depth heightens the original concept | |
| Remarkable restraint shown in the jumpscares |
Exit 8 is the Strangest, but Best Video Game Adaptation in Recent Memory
A major part of Exit 8‘s appeal is obviously aimed squarely at fans of the game, and as a video game adaptation, Exit 8 is close to perfect. Far from the weird modern fascination with taking game IPs and making something completely unrecognizable, Exit 8 doesn’t seek radical, transformative difference. There are added layers of complexity (because otherwise it wouldn’t have worked in even the simplest way) and surprising philosophical depth around personal responsibility and legacy, but it’s all done in a way that honors the established framework.
A number of the game’s anomalies are here from the dripping black goo to the brownish red flood, but I actually have to give credit to Exit 8 for not using some of the more overt jump scares. Yes, there are a couple, but the film is far more committed to being a pure liminal spaces horror that builds on a sense of foreboding than being something more like a haunted house story. That means you get a real sense of frustration as The Lost Man grows more pained, and when they do come, the more conventional scares land even better. For a movie based very much on a gimmick, this is impressively far from a gimmick movie.
Like the game, which was made on a very short timeline and at low cost, Exit 8 is all about great economy. There are very few characters, very little dialogue, and basically no major set pieces: this is, instead, a challenge to conventional storytelling where things aren’t supposed to make sense. What grabbed me most was that by every conventional measure, Exit 8 should be a harrowing watch, but it’s actually… fun to watch. Obviously, you have to actively welcome creepiness into your life, but since when was that a character flaw?
All in all, Exit 8 is a delightful surprise. If you love the game, you’ll love the movie, and you should admire what it adds. If you come in completely cold without knowing anything about the viral game, you’ll arguably be even more impressed. The best thing I can say about it is that it feels almost like an episode of the glorious Inside No. 9 – arguably the best-written dark comedy series ever made by the BBC. Watch them both and you’ll see what I mean.
Exit 8 is in cinemas from April 10. Are you going to see Exit 8? Leave a comment below and join the conversation now in the ComicBook Forum!
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