Director
Genki Kawamura
Music (original)
Shouhei Amimori, Yasutaka Nakata
Cast
Kazunari Ninomiya, Yamato Kôchi, Nana Komatsu
Edition 2025
95'
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2025
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Mystery, Horror, Thriller
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Format:
DCP
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Dialogue:
Japanese
In Exit 8, the first live-action video game adaptation at Cannes and a hit there, a lost man must escape a nightmarish loop of subway passages. With few means but a great deal of inventiveness, Japanese director Genki Kawamura knows how to draw even non-gamers into the game with this heartfelt mind-bender about finding your way back, both literally and figuratively.
Being stuck in a video game is frustrating—but being trapped in a real-life video game is far worse. That’s exactly what happens to the protagonist of Exit 8, based on the award-winning Japanese game of the same name. Like in the game, the character is caught in an apparently endless subway corridor, where following the rules is the only way out. Versatile director, producer, and co-writer Genki Kawamura squeezes every drop of potential from this deceptively simple premise, crafting a surprising film about choices, human failings, and fatherhood. The underground loop forces the so-called Lost Man to confront his fears, insecurities, and guilt in startlingly original ways—giving the clever concept an emotional core. At Cannes, this first-ever live-action game adaptation to screen at the prestigious festival earned a rapturous eight-minute standing ovation. Odds are, you’ll want to play the game yourself afterwards.
Image gallery
Credits
Directors
Genki Kawamura
Music (original)
Shouhei Amimori, Yasutaka Nakata
Cast
Kazunari Ninomiya, Yamato Kôchi, Nana Komatsu
Scenario
Genki Kawamura, Kotake Create, Hirase Kentaro
Director of Photography
Keisuke Imamura
Editors
Sakura Seya
Producers
Yoshihiro Furusawa, Minami Ichikawa, Taichi Itô, Genki Kawamura, Yuto Sakata, Taichi Ueda, Kenji Yamada, Akito Yamamoto
Production studios
AOI Promotion, Story, Toho company
Distributor
Paradiso Filmed Entertainment NV
More info
Dialogue
Japanese
Countries of production
Japan
Screenplay based on
"The Exit 8" (Video game)
Year
2025
Technical Specs
Format
DCP
