The adaptation of the indie hit The Exit 8 by KOTAKE CREATE has become the highest-rated video game adaptation on Rotten Tomatoes. The film was released in foreign theaters on April 10 and, at the time of publication, holds a 94% approval rating based on 89 reviews, confidently leading the ranking of video game adaptations. The closest pursuers, "Sonic the Hedgehog 3" and "Werewolves Within", lag behind with a result of 86%.
However, this refers exclusively to critics' ratings. The user rating may look different: for example, "Sonic the Hedgehog 3" received 95%, while "Exit 8" has not yet been formed.
Nevertheless, reviewers agree on one thing — director Genki Kawamura has turned a simple game concept into a full-fledged author's statement. The film focuses not on classic horror techniques, but on the atmosphere and ideas associated with the feeling of cyclicity, routine, and escapism.
The direction and visuals are noted separately. A Style Weekly reviewer compares the film to a "miniature Kubrick", highlighting the symmetry of the frame and the gradually increasing tension. Radio Times draws attention to how the subway space turns into a source of anxiety, and TheWrap goes even further and calls the film "possibly the best video game adaptation to date."
It is curious that Russian viewers saw "Exit 8" earlier than the Western audience — the film was released back in late August 2025.