“Exit 8” Film Review: Keep Your Eyes Peeled for Anomalies!

I would love to preface this review with a confession: I am weak to anything horror. The mildest jump scares would still get to me; even the lack thereof will influence me on the same level as an actual apparition. Back when the original Exit 8 game by Kotake Create was highly popular, not even my favourite VTubers could make me watch their gameplay streams of it.

Despite that, the level of fame Exit 8 had gained upon its release was enough to make even someone like me familiar with the premise of the game. Go through the seemingly endless subway station passageways, keep walking if you think everything’s okay, turn around if you notice anything remotely strange. No character dialogues, zero narration (except for the set of rules, if they count), just focus on getting out of the looping tunnels. I was highly curious about how they would take this completely plotless, no lore game and spin it into a nearly 2-hour-long movie. You know what people say: curiosity kills the cat, or the scaredy cat in my case.

Personally, braving myself to march to the cinema for Exit 8’s movie adaptation has proven to be a very good decision. The movie is filled with director and writer Genki Kawamura’s interesting creative interpretations, giving fresh experience to those who enjoy the game and unfamiliar viewers alike. The original game is unsettling at most, with some random chasings if you’re (not) in luck, but the movie has more classic horror/thriller elements added into it, like actual jumpscare moments. Despite that, the majority of the movie still feels like watching someone playing the original Exit 8 game. You’ll find yourself getting more immersed in the movie as it goes, desperately trying to ‘backseat’ the characters as you watch them miss an anomaly.

Some of the anomalies featured in the movie are taken from the original game, but with some alterations and accompanied by thrilling music and loud noises. It does take away the quiet, eerie ‘liminal space’ vibes, though, but it works in adding the excitement for the movie. My personal favourite re-interpreted anomaly would be the tsunami, which I think is the movie’s take on the red water waves from the game. I love how this anomaly is utilised to reveal the surprising, though already hinted, back stories of the characters involved in this scene. 

Exit 8 characters, although very few in number, are also among my favourite aspects of the movie. I especially love how the main character, simply dubbed as The Lost Man, is portrayed to have severe asthma, which flares up several times throughout the movie. Kazunari Ninomiya’s acting is so immersive, you can feel yourself suffocate, or at least subconsciously hold your breath, every time he suffers through his asthma attacks while trying to find his way out. As someone who also often gets her asthma triggered when going through immense stress, I think Ninomiya did great in acting out The Lost Man’s asthma attacks. His inhaler is the MVP of the movie, seriously.

Lastly, without revealing too much of it (hopefully), the movie’s plot nicely plays along the general premise of Exit 8. By getting out of the underground passageway, you break the loop of the exits, and many such instances of these loops are found throughout the movie. The connecting lines of the dots satisfyingly reveal themselves, and I eventually found myself rooting for The Lost Man to break the loop of his own story as the movie reaches its end.

Exit 8 is a satisfying adaptation that honours its source media while also standing strong as a complete, standalone work. I didn’t expect this movie to be such an emotional roller-coaster ride, but it’s definitely worth watching. Just make sure to bring your inhalers along with you, fellow asthma havers.

Exit 8 premieres in Indonesian theatres on 10 September 2025.

The Indonesian Anime Times | Review by Shayna Agasthya