Video Game Thriller With 97% RT Gets Poster & Release Date
A new psychological thriller based on a popular video game has officially secured its theatrical release date, along with the debut of a cryptic poster. The film, which has earned a 97% critics score on Rotten Tomatoes, is set to hit theaters this spring.
Neon reveals release date and poster for Exit 8 ahead of trailer
Neon has set the nationwide theatrical release date for the Japanese thriller Exit 8 as April 10, 2026. On February 5, 2026, Neon announced the release date on its official X account and revealed that the trailer would debut on February 6 with a new poster. Genki Kawamura directs the film, which stars Kazunari Ninomiya, Yamato Kôchi, Naru Asanuma, Kotone Hanase, and Nana Komatsu.
Exit 8 is based on the popular video game by Kotake Create and follows a man trapped in an endless, sterile subway corridor. The character must follow strict rules: “Do not overlook anything out of the ordinary. If you discover an anomaly, turn back immediately. If you don’t, carry on. Then leave from Exit 8” (via Deadline). Any oversight resets his progress. The screenplay was written by Kawamura and Kentaro Hirase.
The film premiered in the Midnight section of the 2025 Cannes Film Festival, where it received an 8-minute standing ovation. It subsequently screened at Toronto, Sitges, Beyond Fest, Busan, and International Film Festival Rotterdam. The film grossed over $27 million in Japan and currently holds a 97% critics score on Rotten Tomatoes.
Kawamura produced Your Name, Mirai, Belle, and Monster. He made his directorial debut with A Hundred Flowers (2022), which won Best Director at the 70th San Sebastián International Film Festival. He also wrote If Cats Disappeared From The World, which sold over 2 million copies across 32 countries.
Yuto Sakata, Kenji Yamada, Akito Yamamoto, and Taichi Ito produce the film. Other films opening wide on April 10 include In the Grey from Black Bear and Guy Ritchie, Universal’s You, Me & Tuscany, and a theatrical release from Shudder Films.
Source: Comingsoon.net