“Exit 8,” a horror film directed and co-written by Genki Kawamura and based on the global hit video game created by Kotake Create, will open in North American theaters on Friday, April 10.
A man trapped in an 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. But even a single oversight will send him back to the beginning. Will he ever reach his goal and escape this infinite corridor?
The cast: Kazunari Ninomiya, Yamato Kochi, Naru Asanuma, Kotone Hanase, Nana Komatsu.
Kawamura is known for the anime features “Your Name” and “Weathering with You” and the live-action feature “Monster.”
Director’s statement: “This film takes place entirely within an endlessly repeating underground corridor. Through its visuals and sound design, audiences will feel as though they’ve wandered into one of Escher’s optical illusions — caught in a dream-like haze. As the protagonist navigates the corridor, they must identify disturbing ‘anomalies’ and seek out Exit 8. The only rule is simple: turn back if there’s an anomaly, move forward if there isn’t.
“But this singular rule plunges the lost traveler into a spiral of fear and paranoia. Much like Mizoguchi’s ‘Ugetsu’ or Kubrick’s ‘The Shining,’ this film is a nightmare journey into a labyrinth of warped time and space.
“While the film maintains the entertainment value of a horror movie, it also explores profound themes. The looping corridor is a metaphor for our daily routines, and the anomalies symbolize the latent guilt or sins within the protagonist — or society at large.
“We all go through seemingly mundane routines while encountering subtle signs that something is ‘off’ in the world. They may seem like small fragments, but they reflect the deeper reality. Do we ignore these signs and become lost in a world with no exit? Or do we recognize them and head toward the light?
“Whether we know it or not, this is a decision we make every day. The white corridor may be a purgatory that confronts us with our sins — or perhaps a metaphorical womb. The yellow-lit sign reading ‘Exit 8’ watches over us, almost as if it has a will of its own. This is an ambitious and unconventional horror film set in the underground passages of Tokyo, aimed at a global audience.”
Check local listings for theaters and showtimes.