Final Rating: 3.5/5
We’re all trying to escape something… Based on a video game, Japanese director Genki Kawamura’s The Exit 8 brings to life the tale of the Lost Man (Kazunari Ninomiya) and his journey to escape from a seemingly abandoned subway terminal. Written by Kawamura and Hirase Kentaro along with the game’s creator Kotake Create, it blends horror and survival elements as the Lost Man charts his journey of escape.
One thing it manages to pull off quite well is that its straightforward narrative is utilized effectively throughout. It starts with the Lost Man heading to his temp job one morning, when out of the blue he receives a phone call from his ex-girlfriend, informing him that she’s pregnant and at the hospital trying to decide what to do. He decides to go and help her, or at the very least be there for her, and this is when the trouble starts.
He moves through the pristine corridors towards what he presumes is the right spot to exit only to find himself trapped in a sort of purgatory. After several laps around, only to wind up at the same spot, he notices a list of rules on the wall and quickly ascertains that they are to be followed if he is to escape. He encounters several individuals including the tragic Walking Man (Yamato Kochi) who is the object of what happens should you fail to follow said rules. The rules stress anomalies are to be avoided so the Lost Man must decipher if they are meant to be there or not.
They are also simple in that if things are different than the last level, you go back and try again. However, the changes range from the subtle to psychological torment, to more dangerous fare, and it’s up to these individuals to carefully take notice, lest they remain here indefinitely. The Lost Man is careful to take note of each poster, and door, counting out every locker and ensuring the signs are all the same. As the numbers on the sign in the main corridor counts higher, those trying to get out are enthused, ever closer to their freedom, but one mistake and it resets back to zero. This element is very much video game like, but doesn’t hamper the plot, as it serves to reinforce the dramatic element.
As it moves along the film essentially becomes an allegory for parenthood and stepping up to responsibility that the Lost Man must face. As with most scripts there is a set up early on in the film and the Lost Man’s inciting incident in this regard is when he fails to defend a lady being verbally accosted on the subway by a businessman when her infant child is crying.
As he progresses he encounters a young boy (Naru Asanuma), who may or may not be his future child that, as the hero’s journey dictates, he must help escape as well. As the two course their journey the Lost Man imagines a future with his ex and the boy, walking by the sea shore, being a family, but is it merely a dream or premonition of what’s to come?
It imbues its main character with enough depth to give him an arc, even if the others aren’t given the same due. Its shot well with an effective pacing, and the various stages and the lingering curiosity of what will be different from level to level, and how so, keep the audience engaged, eyes darting across the screen to find out what’s coming next. Its narrative may not entice everyone, but those with whom it resonates are in for a fun time.
Exit 8 was seen during the 2025 Toronto International Film Festival.
