A Tokyo Subway Station Turns Into an Infinite Nightmare in 'Exit 8'

"Exit 8 is among the most devilishly simple, and, as it turns out, metaphorically rich. Kawamura's film is based on an indie video-game sensation, The Exit 8, where first-person players are ushered down a tiled metro tunnel and don't escape its repeating loop until they grasp the game and make it from one level to the next."

"Part of the trick is deciphering what constitutes an anomaly and what doesn't. There's a very robotic commuter who walks past every time - The Walking Man - and, at one level, a boy in the middle of the corridor. Making it to Exit 8 may be a game, but passage ultimately hinges on seeing - really seeing - those around you."

Exit 8, directed by Genki Kawamura, is set in a subway hallway and follows a character navigating a nightmarish loop. The film is inspired by the indie video game The Exit 8, where players must progress through a repeating tunnel. The protagonist counts various elements in the environment, including a robotic commuter and a boy, as he learns to truly see those around him. The film's setting and themes create a metaphorical exploration of perception and connection in a modern, digital world.

Read at Kqed