EXIT 8. In search of the anomalies [REVIEW]

“Watch for anomalies. If you see one, turn back immediately. If you don’t see any anomalies, keep going forward. Head for exit number 8.” — the instructions posted on the walls of the Tokyo metro in the game The Exit 8 seem deceptively simple. As we traverse the endlessly looping, eerily sterile subway corridor, we must carefully scan our surroundings for the mentioned anomalies, moving ever closer to the titular Exit 8. Easier said than done — if we miss a subtly ajar door to a maintenance room or a streak on the ceiling resembling a human face, the game sends us back to the starting point.

The director behind the cinematic adaptation, Genki Kawamura, pays homage to the source material from the very first scene, presenting the nameless protagonist (Kazunari Ninomiya) in a first-person perspective shot. The character stands in a subway car; upon witnessing a man brutally scold his mother with a crying child in tow, he emotionlessly puts on his headphones.

Moments later, he exits onto the platform and takes a call from his pregnant girlfriend. As he heads for the exit, however, the boy becomes lost in the cursed station — and the attempt to escape confinement turns into a kind of maturity test for a protagonist reluctant to assume the role of a parent.

At one point, the protagonist’s place of imprisonment is explicitly compared to hell or purgatory. Indeed, the unfortunate souls trapped in the isolated metro station are subjected in the film to elaborate punishments for their life’s transgressions. The anomalies encountered by the protagonist force him to confront his own weaknesses and fears, and escaping this prison simultaneously promises personal growth. First, however, he must find the exit — traversing the same corridor for the nth time, he mutters a tally of the objects he passes, while we try along with him to memorize the layout of the eerie station. The task is far from easy — a moment’s inattention is enough to send the protagonist back to the starting point.

For a while, this formula works quite well. The director faithfully recreates the game’s setting, skillfully directs our attention to key elements of the set design, and handles the staging of successive anomalies effectively. I also appreciated how the sound design was used — from the chilling cries of children and creaking doors, to the booming original score (Shohei Amimori, Yasutaka Nakata), as well as the strategic inclusion of Ravel and Debussy pieces at critical moments.

However, it’s clear that the creators’ energy lasts only until the halfway point — after that, the sense of freshness fades, the tension drops noticeably, and sudden plot diversions merely distract from the central narrative. The situation is somewhat rescued by Kazunari Ninomiya, who, despite minimal script material, manages to create a believable character. It’s easy to believe in the protagonist’s transformation, as well as to empathize with his fears and frustrations.

Considering the sparse plot of the original The Exit 8, Kawamura and his team still did a decent job. Gameplay mechanics remembered from the source material work well on the cinematic screen, and the film has retained the unsettling atmosphere of the game. Even if the screenplay falters in a few places, the images of the cursed station linger in the mind long after the credits roll. Think carefully before boarding the subway again — or at least conduct a thorough self-reflection beforehand.