Exit 8

AroView: A breakout hit thriller from Japan that has the distinction of being an art film based on a successful video game. The premise is elegantly simple - a young man enters an underground subway concourse only to discover he is trapped in an endless loop unless he can figure out how to exit.

Gaming qualities aside, the film is also an anxious dream-like experience inspired by the news that his girlfriend is unexpectedly pregnant and needs to ‘make a decision’. Tightly controlled direction and solid acting maintain interest through all of the repetition, while the white-tiled walls and bright yellow signage make for a film that looks like no other. The effect is mesmerizing.

“A devilishly entertaining time at the movies… Exit 8 is a cinematic captcha, tasking us with finding the difference between one image and the next to prove our humanity.” ~Blake Simons, IndieWire

“As the film nears its conclusion, “Exit 8” becomes as emotionally enriching to feel through as it is enigmatically engrossing to play through…” ~Marshall Shaffer, The Playlist

“Exit 8 shows video game adaptations can still have a sense of originality, both narratively and technically.” ~Giovanni Lago, Next Best Picture