A nameless man is on his way to work via the Tokyo metro system, but as he reaches his stop and tries to exit the station, it becomes clear that something is terribly wrong, the liminal spaces of this vast station seemingly starting to loop with repetitive corridors and an expressionless man passing the lost man repeatedly, leaving our protagonist to figure out how to find the titular Exit 8 and escape this unnerving conundrum.
Based on the horror video game of the same name, there is legitimate concern that Exit 8 may be nothing more than yet another entry into the annals of why film adaptations of video games rarely fare well.
Instead, with filmmaker Genki Kawamura at the helm, the film settles into a dreamlike lull that uses its constraints to its advantage, and emphasizes atmosphere and mystery by letting the viewer follow along without the protagonist with as little insight into the mechanics of this supernatural maze as he has.
There is some subtext, however, which may seem ham-fisted or even sanctimonious to some, however, the mystery elements and tension on the basis of the uncertainty of what may lurk when turning the same corner for the umpteenth time lends the film a hypnotic sense of intrigue that allows the viewer to remain engaged as long as they are willing to suspend their disbelief.
Some may find themselves annoyed by the amount of time it takes the protagonist to figure out that something is wrong, but by introducing the perspectives of three other individuals stuck trying to find Exit 8, any such frustrations are likely to be alleviated before they become disengaging.
Exit 8 will not be to everyone’s taste, but it wrangles the premise afforded by its source material thoughtfully, and in terms of entertainment value, you could certainly do much worse than spending 95 minutes trying to escape a Tokyo metro station that is perhaps only rivaled by London’s Bank Station in terms of the despair one feels trying to find an exit from the tiled, stale corridors that sometimes feels dishearteningly out of reach.
Verdict: 8 out of 10.
* * * * *
Produced by Yuto Sakata, Kenji Yamada, Akito Yamamoto, Taichi Ito,
Yoshihiro Furusawa, Minami Ichikawa, Genki Kawamura, Taichi Ueda
Screenplay by Kentaro Hirase, Genki Kawamura
Based on The Exit 8 by Kotake Create
Directed by Genki Kawamura
Starring Kazunari Ninomiya, Yamato Kochi,
Naru Asanuma, Kotone Hanase, Nana Komatsu
