'Exit 8' Review: Japanese Film Transforms Repetitive Gameplay Into Mesmerizing Horror

While most video-game movies fail in trying to translate active game mechanics to the passive experience of movie-watching, Exit 8 thrives by truly making viewers feel as though they’re a part of the action. Director Genki Kawamura’s film is a frighteningly immersive experience that cleverly uses repetition to create claustrophobic and cloying tension. It’s this invitation to participation that keeps the audiences spooked and invested, even if the film’s narrative forays into melodrama threaten to release the mounting pressure.