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Exit 8 (film)
2025 Japanese film by Genki Kawamura From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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Exit 8 (Japanese: 8番出口, Hepburn: Hachiban Deguchi) is a 2025 Japanese psychological horror film written and directed by Genki Kawamura, based on the 2023 adventure game The Exit 8 published by Kotake Create.
The film had its world premiere at the Midnight Screenings of the 2025 Cannes Film Festival on May 19, 2025, and will be theatrically released in Japan by Toho on August 29, 2025.
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Premise
A man trapped in a endless sterile subway passageway 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?[1]
Cast
- Kazunari Ninomiya as The Lost Man[2]
- Yamato Kochi as The Walking Man
- Naru Asanuma[1]
- Kotone Hanase[1]
- Nana Komatsu[3]
Production
A live-action film based on The Exit 8 video game was announced by Toho on December 27, 2024,[4] with Genki Kawamura set to write, produce and direct the film.,[5][6] starring Kazunari Ninomiya and Yamato Kochi as the "lost man" and "walking man" respectively.[7][8]
Filming took place from late 2024 to early 2025 in Tokyo, mainly in a set that was built as a replica of the original game's underground passage.[9]
The first teaser trailer was released internationally by Toho in March 2025.[10] On May 2, 2025, it was announced that an eponymous novel would be published alongside the movie, written by the director and writer Genki Kawamura.[11]
Release
Exit 8 is scheduled to release on August 29, 2025 in Japan.[12] Though the site "Japan Travel" cites international release for September,[13] there is no official confirmation. Korean and French distributors have posted "coming soon" only.[14][15] In August 2025, Neon acquired North American distribution rights to the film, planning to release it sometime in early 2026.[16]
It was selected to be screened out of competition at the 2025 Cannes Film Festival in May 2025.[17][18] It was announced in August that the film would be screened at the 58th Sitges Film Festival and at the 2025 Toronto International Film Festival.[19][20][21]
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Reception
Jonathan Romney from Screen International wrote "A rare game-based movie that actually has the feel of a game, with confoundingly tricky rules, Exit 8 should achieve solid cult status beyond Japan".[22] Clarence Tsui from South China Morning Post gave it 3 stars out of 5, stating that "Genki Kawamura has turned a simple premise – in which a player is made to run repeatedly down a short underground passage to search for a way out – into a psychological thriller exploring a man’s guilt and redemption".[23]
The film received an eight-minute standing ovation at the 2025 Cannes Film Festival.[24]
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See also
References
External links
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