Exit 8 is in UK cinemas now (from 24 April 2026). Based on the viral Japanese horror game, this psychological thriller stars Kazunari Ninomiya (Letters from Iwo Jima) and is directed by Genki Kawamura, producer of Your Name and Suzume. The film has grossed over $39 million worldwide.
UK Release Details
| UK Release Date | 24 April 2026 |
| Distributor | Vertigo Releasing |
| Runtime | 95 minutes |
| Rating | 15 (strong horror, flashing images) |
| Language | Japanese with English subtitles |
Official website: findexit8.com
Where to Watch in the UK
Exit 8 is showing at 212 cinemas across the UK and Ireland.
Find all screenings: CinemaGuide.co.uk/exit8 — compare showtimes, find cheapest tickets
Book tickets by chain:
- Odeon — nationwide
- Vue — nationwide
- Cineworld — nationwide
- Curzon — Soho, Bloomsbury, Mayfair, Victoria
- Picturehouse — Central, Hackney, Brixton, FACT Liverpool, Cameo Edinburgh
- Showcase — nationwide
By city:
- London: 20+ cinemas — Leicester Square, Brixton, Hackney, Wood Green, Curzon Soho, Picturehouse Central
- Manchester: Odeon Great Northern, Cineworld Didsbury, HOME Manchester
- Glasgow: Glasgow Film Theatre, Vue St Enoch, Odeon Glasgow Quay
- Liverpool: Odeon Liverpool One, Picture House Liverpool, FACT
- Edinburgh: Cameo Picturehouse, Vue Omni Centre
- Birmingham, Leeds, Bristol, Cardiff, Belfast, Newcastle, Sheffield, Nottingham — multiple venues
What Is Exit 8?
A man becomes trapped in an endless Tokyo subway corridor. To escape, he must follow one rule: spot the anomalies. If something looks wrong — a poster that moved, a person facing the wrong way, blood seeping from the ceiling — turn back. If everything looks normal, keep going. One mistake sends him back to the beginning.
The film opens in first-person POV, immersing you directly into the protagonist’s perspective. Director Kawamura recreated the game’s corridor as a near-exact replica on set in Tokyo.
Themes: The horror becomes a metaphor for guilt, circular thinking, and the protagonist’s struggle with impending fatherhood after learning his ex-girlfriend is pregnant.
Cast & Crew
Director: Genki Kawamura — producer of Your Name, Suzume, Mirai, Belle, and The Colours Within. This is his second feature as director after A Hundred Flowers (2022).
Cast:
- Kazunari Ninomiya (Letters from Iwo Jima) as The Lost Man
- Nana Komatsu (Silence) as The Woman
- Yamato Kochi as The Walking Man
- Naru Asanuma as The Boy
- Kotone Hanase as The High School Girl
Ninomiya, a gamer himself who knew the original game well, was credited with “script cooperation” and helped adapt the non-narrative game into a story.
Festival History
- World Premiere: Cannes Film Festival 2025 (Midnight Screenings)
- BFI London Film Festival: October 2025
- Toronto International Film Festival: 2025
- Busan International Film Festival: 2025
- Sitges Film Festival: 2025
- Rotterdam International Film Festival: 2026
Box Office
Exit 8 opened at #2 in Japan (behind Demon Slayer: Infinity Castle), selling 672,000 tickets in its first three days. It was the highest three-day opening for a live-action film in Japan in 2025.
Worldwide gross: Over ¥5.2 billion (~$39 million)
Should You Watch It?
If you played the game, you’ll appreciate how faithfully Kawamura recreates the corridor — he even opens the film in first-person POV. The long-take cinematography and seamless looping create genuine unease. Some game anomalies were changed or omitted (no Hidden Man chase scene), but new ones were added, including lockers and a photobooth.
If you haven’t played the game, it works as a standalone psychological horror about guilt, fatherhood, and the feeling of being stuck in life.
Warning: Contains flashing images throughout.
The Original Game
The Exit 8 (8番出口) released in November 2023 on Steam by indie developer KOTAKE CREATE. It became a viral hit for its unsettling “liminal space” atmosphere and simple-yet-terrifying premise. The game spawned countless YouTube videos and inspired similar horror games.
Available on: Steam (PC), PlayStation, Nintendo Switch, iOS, Android
Also in UK Cinemas Now
- AKIRA (4K/IMAX remaster) — the 1988 anime masterpiece, now earning over £1 million at UK box office
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Written by Ayaka Uchida — CEO of A-Digital Works, founder of Nihon GO! World.