The best debut horror game of 2023 is getting a movie next year

Exit 8one of the best and most creative horror games of 2023, was filmed by the Japanese production company Toho. A movie that is simply named Departure 8it premiered at the Cannes Film Festival in spring 2025 and was released in Japan at the end of August. Its North American release is scheduled for 2026.

Although Exit 8 is ostensibly a “walking simulator” and therefore inherently less cinematic than a movie-like game such as The last of usits translation into film makes quite a bit of sense. The video game is highly surreal and interpretive, placing the player in the position of an unnamed man trying to leave a Tokyo subway station. This basic assumption manifests itself as a PT– an inspired sequence of looping corridors, with each loop representing a unique “anomaly” or change to the original version of the hall. Some of these can be small, like a poster with a new and unusual illustration, while others are extreme and unmistakable, like new NPCs and immediate threats like floods. There is some obscure tradition behind it Exit 8spooky veneer, but again it's up to interpretation.

Everything we know about the film adaptation of Exit 8

Key players in the film Exit 8

Director: Genki Kawamura
Scenario: Kentaro Hirase & Genki Kawamura
In the main role: Kazunari Ninomiya & Nana Komatsu
North American distribution by Neon

Director, writer and producer Genki Kawamura is perhaps best known for his literature, garnering international acclaim for his 2012 best-selling novel. If cats disappeared from the world. Departure 8 is his third directorial project. Co-writer Kentaro Hirase had previously worked with Kawamura on Dualitya 2018 drama that the pair directed together.

The main roles of the film are Kazunari Ninomiya who plays Departure 8The main character and Nana Komatsu who plays a mysterious woman who was not in the original game. This is naturally required by filmmaking convention Departure 8The main character is a bit more fleshed out for the audience than a quiet, empty vessel. Ninomiya and Komatsu are central to this reinterpretation of the source material, helping to drive the plot, fleshing out the story and creating stronger emotional stakes. Yamato Kochi, whose acting credits don't start until 2023, plays the mysterious “Walking Man” that players encounter in the game.

Although it was originally distributed by Japanese giant Toho, its North American release will be handled by Neon, the distributor best known for blockbuster movies like Parasite, Long legsand Triangle of sadness. Neon's strong track record, especially with international films, may raise further hope Departure 8quality.

Is Exit 8 a good movie?

How North American audiences are reacting Exit 8 remains to be seen, but the film's global launch is off to a good start. The standards video game adaptation has been met with great acclaim and currently holds a 96% critic rating on Rotten Tomatoes. It was #2 at the Japanese box office in its debut weekend, beaten only by the latest Demon Slayer film. It also did well in South Korea, Russia and France. Accolades are sparse as the film continues its theatrical run, but it was nominated for Best Feature Film at the Sitges Film Festival in Spain and won Best Score at the same event.

Apart from Cannes and Sitges, Departure 8 it was screened at the Toronto International Film Festival and the Melbourne International Film Festival.

When is Exit 8 out in North America?

Departure 8 North American release window: early 2026

Neon has yet to specify a firm release date Departure 8but the company is targeting early 2026. This NA release will bring the Japanese film to theaters across the United States, Canada, and Mexico, though the exact extent of that distribution (eg, number of theaters) has yet to be confirmed.

First year of publication for Departure 8 not exactly ideal, as there are more viewers around the end of the year or during the summer. Some even refer to the first months as the “dump months” because this is usually when distributors start projects with less earning potential. This makes it a common and even beneficial window for other horror films like Departure 8 as many iconic films and cult classics were released during this time including The silence of the lambs, Cloverfieldand Scanners.

What to expect from the US release of Exit 8

It will certainly be interesting to see how it goes Departure 8 performing with American audiences compared to audiences in Japan, France and elsewhere. Horror tropes and conventions vary quite a bit around the world, so Departure 8's perception can varies significantly across states. On a more optimistic note, Departure 8Thanks to the American release, it will be eligible for both the Oscars and the Golden Globes. If Neon is betting big on Departure 8as with his previous international films, it has the potential to garner quite a bit of prestige when it lands in the Western Hemisphere.