Plot: What’s it about?
- Do Not Overlook Any Anomalies
- If You Find. Anomalies, Turn Back Immediately
- If You Don’t Find Anomalies, Do Not Turn Back
- To Go Out From Exit 8
I have to imagine that if there’s a hell, it might be something akin to what the main character faces in Exit 8. I don’t think I’m speaking for everyone, but I’ll go out on a limb and assume that no one likes the feeling of being lost. It’s a loss of control and it’s an instantly anxiety-inducing feeling when you lose that control. I can recall two films that explored this concept, one is John Carpenter’s In the Mouth of Madness in which the main character (played by Sam Neill) tries to escape a town only to see the same houses, street signs and so forth. Likewise the characters in The Blair Witch Project experienced the same thing. Tacking on a third example, this was done more humorously in “The Parking Garage” an episode of Seinfeld in which the four main characters spent the entire episode trying to find their car. At any rate, I think the point has been made. Exit 8 is yet another example of a movie that I’d likewise never would have heard of, but I’m glad I gave this one a chance. Let’s dive in.
We meet “Lost Man” (Kazunari Ninomiya) as he gets off a subway and tries to make his way to the exit. But there’s something amiss when the corridors of the station don’t seem to lead him towards said exit. It’s as if he’s walking in circles. As fate would have it, he discovers a sign with directions that say if he sees an anomaly, he’s to turn back. Otherwise, he can keep going forward. Any divergence from these rules sends him back to where he started. Along his “journey” he also meets two others: a “Walking Man” (Yamato Kochi) and a little boy (Naru Asanuma). He knows not who they are or how they got there, it’s all part of the mystery. Can “Lost Man” find his way out or is he destined to live out the rest of his life in the vein of Sisyphus?
If the movie seems like a video game it’s because it was based on one. And that’s part of what makes the film interesting is that the main character is somewhat forced to live by “video game rules.” Each exit he encounters represents a level, if he succeeds – he advances. Otherwise it’s back to the start. It’s this sensation of doing something until you get it right that’s ultimately so satisfying about a video game. But seeing it through the eyes of a character must be about the most frustrating thing imaginable. Writer and Director Genki Kawamura has managed to craft something pretty memorable here. It’s simple, but exciting. Satisfying, yet frustrating. You know, just like a video game. There are some odd things thrown in for good measure, but ultimately we walk the halls along with “Lost Man” which ultimately makes this one a winner.
Video: How’s it look?
The film is shot in a narrower aspect ratio of 1.85:1 and the AVC HD encode brings out the best/most of the mundane hallways that make up the majority of the film. It’s this narrower aspect ratio which gives us a more claustrophobic effect – and it works. White dominates this one, adding some contrast to a rather bland color palette. Don’t knock that, it’s what makes the film work and gives it some character. The neon glow of the fluorescent lights, some of the dark rooms and everything in between give this one a very nice, unnatural look. I assure you that’s what the filmmaker was going for. And it’s spot on gorgeous.
Audio: How’s it sound?
Unless you’re fluent in Japanese, you’ll be reading English subtitles. And that’s fine. My wife has taken to watching films and TV with the subtitles on and I don’t really get it, but I think that sometimes it actually heightens the viewing experience. We see the characters speak the words, but reading them makes it a bit more personal. The included DTS HD Master Audio mix does a fair job at raising the bar, but as we might expect – this one isn’t too audio heavy. In other words (pardon the pun), it gets the job done, but it’s not too entirely memorable.
Supplements: What are the extras?
- Q & A with Director Genki Kawamura – This one is pretty self-explanatory in that it’s just that – a question and answer session with the writer and director of the film. I got a little more out of the AMA (Ask Me Anything) via his Reddit Q & A.
- The Making of Exit 8 – The obligatory featurette is chock full of what we’ve come to expect as we get some sound bites from the actors as well as some behind the scenes footage.
- Theatrical Trailer
The Bottom Line
I’ve found that when it comes to evoking emotions, less is generally always more. That’s certainly the case here as the plot is so simplistic, it works. And I can only imagine my mind spinning if I were the character of this film. Give it a chance – I’m glad I did.
