There’s a special kind of dread that comes from a place that looks perfectly ordinary—until you realize it won’t let you leave. That’s the trap at the center of NEON’s newly unveiled trailer for “Exit 8,” the highly acclaimed Japanese thriller based on the global hit video game. It’s the sort of concept that doesn’t need much dressing up: one sterile passageway, one set of rules, and the creeping suspicion you’re already too late.
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The film is set for a nationwide theatrical release on April 10, 2026. It is directed by Genki Kawamura, a prolific producer behind “Your Name,” “Mirai,” “Belle,” and “Monster,” and the Best Director winner at San Sebastián for his directorial debut “A Hundred Flowers.” “Exit 8” is the second feature he’s directed.
Per the release, “Exit 8” premiered in Cannes’ Midnight section and later screened at major international festivals including Toronto, Sitges, and Busan. It’s currently playing at the International Film Festival Rotterdam. The film has also drawn strong critical notices, with the release earning a 97% score on Rotten Tomatoes, and it was a major hit in Japan, grossing approximately $27 million USD.
Adapted from the game created by Kotake Create, “Exit 8” follows a man, played by Kazunari Ninomiya, who becomes trapped in an endless subway passageway while trying to locate the titular exit. The rules are brutally simple: don’t miss anything out of the ordinary. If you spot an anomaly, turn back immediately. If you don’t, keep going. Reach Exit 8 and leave. But one mistake resets the entire ordeal—sending him right back to the beginning of the corridor.
The film also stars Yamato Kochi, Naru Asanuma, Kotone Hanase, and Nana Komatsu. The screenplay is by Genki Kawamura and Kentaro Hirase, and the producers are Yuto Sakata, Kenji Yamada, Akita Yamamoto, and Taichi Ito.
Watch the new trailer below.
