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The video game adaptation Exit 8 greatly impressed the critics upon its debut in theaters earlier this year. While it was not a major box office success, it's now finding its audience at home with its rise on streaming.
Exit 8 was released in U.S. theaters in April. While it was a big hitter in Japan, it grossed less than $4 million stateside, having a fairly quiet run in North American theaters. It was added to Shudder on July 17, as well as being made available on AMC+, which offers Shudder content for subscribers. Per FlixPatrol, the film has already shot up to No. 2 on the list of overall titles on AMC+, only behind the vampire TV series The Vampire Lestat. It is also No. 2 on the Shudder-specific list, second to only the Faces of Death reboot.
The Exit 8 Gets Reimagined as a Feature Film
Based on the video game The Exit 8, the feature film was directed by Genki Kawamura, who co-wrote the script with Kentaro Hirase. It follows an unnmaed man (Kazanuri Ninomiya) as he finds himself trapped in an endlessly-looping subway corridor. The only way to escape is by noticing particular anomalies in each loop. If he sees something, he must turn back immediately, otherwise he'll have to start over from scratch. If everything appears normal, he must keep walking, while encountering other mysterious characters along the way.
In addition to Ninomiya in the lead, Exit 8 also stars Yamato Kochi, Naru Asanuma, Kotone Hanase, and Nana Komatsu. It was produced by Kenji Yamada, Akito Yamamoto, and Taichi Ito.
Exit 8 Holds a Rotten Tomatoes Record
Along with an 86% audience score, Exit 8 holds an approval rating of 92% on Rotten Tomatoes. This is the record for the highest-rated feature film based on a video game, according to Rotten Tomatoes critics. Reviewer Josh Serba of Decider was among those giving Exit 8 very high praise, saying that it "deserves a slice of the acclaim Backrooms has been getting." It's also been getting credit for staying true to the source material while offering something different with the transition to the big screen.
"Single-setting horror movies are always a risky choice, but in the case of Exit 8, the decision was obvious: This is the setup of the existing video game, and a near-perfect recreation of what the subway corridor actually looks like in the source material," CBR's own Caralynn Matassa said in a review. "The film’s version of the subway station is perfectly calibrated to enhance the sense of disorientation. Every facet — from the garish lighting to the ugly tiling on the walls to the ads and posters that begin to move and change in one particularly disturbing sequence — escalates the unease."
Exit 8 is streaming on Shudder.
