Psychological horrors will not be solely meant to mess with the characters’ minds, but additionally make us take into consideration what they’re experiencing. Japanese horror Exit 8 barely will get there in that regard. Based mostly on the 2023 journey sport, The Exit 8, director Genki Kawamura, who co-wrote the script with Kentaro Hirase, places an unnamed character — known as solely The Misplaced Man (Kazunari Ninomiya) — in a hellishly repetitive cycle.
Whereas the teachings discovered — concerning the embrace of change and the braveness to face up and communicate with out concern — are good, I’m afraid this horror movie loses itself within the throes of its chaos as a consequence of a skinny and plodding plot. Earlier than The Misplaced Man goes on this journey — which begins on a subway and results in being caught in a couple of curving hallways that ought to, if he follows the directions, result in Exit 8 — we study that his ex-girlfriend is pregnant. This drives his path ahead, haunting him as he makes an attempt to flee to freedom.
Exit 8’s Horror Is Good, However Its Story Does not Have A lot Depth
The movie’s horror components are efficient, even sometimes unsettling. However there’s little attachment to the principle character regardless of the harrowing expertise he’s going by way of. Each cycle by way of the assorted exits tends to alter, however not by all that a lot. The Strolling Man (Yamato Kochi) sweeps previous our protagonist; typically he simply retains it shifting, and different instances he’s proper behind The Misplaced Man, smiling eerily. In the meantime, The Misplaced Man hears the cries of a child or will get a name from his ex (Nana Komatsu), however they’re not as efficient as they may very well be emotionally.
Horror-wise, the movie is a slow-burn. There’s sufficient rigidity that it looks like we’re at all times ready for one thing to occur. Typically it and typically it doesn’t. The pacing is such that you just by no means actually know what is going to crop up, and it retains us attentive, however it’s sluggish and repetitive sufficient for our funding to wane. The repetition is very daunting. Desert Street, a film a couple of lady who discovers she’s caught on one street and might’t escape it, shares similarities to Exit 8. Nonetheless, the previous was in a position to maintain issues contemporary regardless of the identical location and repeated moments.
…as a psychological horror, the movie falls flat.
The narrative briefly cuts to a few different characters, maybe supposed to take a break from The Misplaced Man’s story, but it doesn’t provide a lot in the best way of engagement past being a pleasant break from the cycle of exit indicators and hallways. The horror’s greatest problem is that its plot is barely there. It desires to discover themes of embracing change and duty, however we do not know The Misplaced Man sufficient earlier than he’s thrown into his distressing state of affairs.
As an alternative of giving his story room to breathe, the movie is much less involved about his plot than it’s about crafting the visible aesthetic of the horror. I want I might say this was an awesome psychological horror, however it lacks the depth that might have given it the right momentum and gravitas. With out it, we’re simply watching The Misplaced Man endlessly and frustratingly wander by way of hallways.
It grows tedious as a result of it looks like we’re holding our breath ready for one thing extra vital to occur for the lead’s character improvement, and but it stays largely stagnant. Exit 8 has a lot squandered potential. It may need made for a greater quick movie than a full function, however as a psychological horror, the movie falls flat.
Exit 8 screened on the 2025 Toronto Worldwide Movie Pageant.
Exit 8
4/10
- Launch Date
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August 29, 2025
- Runtime
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95 Minutes
- Director
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Genki Kawamura
- Writers
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Genki Kawamura, Kentaro Hirase
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Kazunari Ninomiya
The Misplaced Man
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Yamato Kochi
The Strolling Man