There have been many loop narratives over the years. Bill Murray’s comedy, Groundhog Day, is the most well-known film that prominently features this device. The slasher, Happy Death Day, is a more recent picture that’s developed a fervent following. In these films, the protagonists’ deaths restart the day and only they can remember the previous iterations. However, each revival is identical to the last, unless the central character changes something. Exit 8 takes this story trick and alters it. The rules are different, but the results are similar — you have to get it right to get out.
A young man (Arashi star Kazunari “Nino” Ninomiya) heading to work receives a call from his ex-girlfriend. She’s pregnant. He reluctantly agrees to meet her at the hospital, but suddenly can’t find his way out of the subway. Soon, he realizes he’s passing the same corridors and the same man over and over again. He then notices a sign that outlines the rules of the quandary he’s in. There are only three directions:
- Find an anomaly, turn around immediately.
- No anomaly, keep moving forward.
- Keep making the right choices to reach Exit 8.
The film is based on a first-person walking simulator game of the same name. It does an excellent job replicating the source’s setting and play. The base location consists of tiled hallways that could reasonably be any transit underground passage.
One would think the stark production design would make identifying the variances easier. However, the “Lost Man” soon finds out “anomaly” has a broad meaning in this mystical trap. The abnormalities range from minor signage changes to terrifying offenses meant to send him running in the opposite direction. It’s like an intense, live-action game of “find the difference.”
Of course, the endless walkway isn’t only trying to scare the Lost Man. While he moves through this purgatory, it confronts him with his failings. His ticket to this limbo appears to have been punched by his indecision about his ex’s news. The passage cunningly forces him to think about the source of his guilt and what he wants to do.
The difficulty in adapting such a simplistic game to the big screen is there’s no existing narrative from which to draw. But co-writer and director Genki Kawamura makes it work for a full 95 minutes. The story unfolds in chapters with each revealing a little more about the loop and its hostages. Audiences unfamiliar with the actual game learn the rules alongside the Lost Man, but are powerless to prevent him from making the wrong choices.
Unfortunately, the camera doesn’t always linger long enough for viewers to play the game alongside the Lost Man, though they’ve likely memorized the patterns just the same. This can be a little frustrating and impact the viewer’s ability to engage with the narrative. But eventually the Lost Man’s story takes precedence over the gameplay.
The nature of the game makes the film unpredictable. No one is ever sure what they’ll find when turning the corner. While not exactly a horror movie, there are a few very creepy elements and a couple of jump scares to keep audiences on their toes. The man repeatedly walking past the Lost Man is an entirely normal act made very unnerving in this situation. The click-clack of his dress shoes echoing through the hallways is just one of the elements that keeps viewers on edge.
The cast and crew collaborated on the script during filming to add emotional depth to the Lost Man’s journey. The result is an eerie but logical path on a very roundabout road leading to redemption or eternal condemnation
Exit 8 screened as part of the 2025 Toronto International Film Festival. Head here to get all our That Shelf TIFF coverage.
