One of the most overlooked video game movie adaptations of 2025 has recently become a streaming hit. With Halloween having come and gone, audiences have been watching various horror titles across numerous streaming services. In 2026, theaters have been especially kind to the genre, with Resident Evil, Backrooms, and Obsession being just some examples of huge box office wins for horror. The same is true for Paramount+, where one horror flick has received the second chance it deserves.
2025 was a huge year for video game adaptations, as many popular titles, such as Minecraft and Five Nights at Freddy's, made their way to the big screen, with the latter releasing its sequel that year. Meanwhile, Japanese titles like Disney Twisted-Wonderland and Hatsune Miku: Colorful Stage! also received film and television adaptations, with Twisted-Wonderland set to return for a second season. The title in question is also based on a Japanese video game developed by an indie studio. While it didn't generate huge box office numbers, it did receive critical acclaim.
Exit 8 is a Japanese horror film based on the 2023 video game The Exit 8. Like its source material, the film follows a man tasked with reaching Exit 8 by identifying anomalies and turning back whenever he encounters one. Recently, Exit 8 became a streaming hit on Paramount+, landing at #2 on the streamer's Top 10 Movies Worldwide chart, between Scary Movie and Passenger, making it a horror must-watch for audiences during the Halloween season. The film is directed by Genki Kawamura, who previously worked as a producer on Your Name, Weathering With You, and Suzume, and stars Kazunari Ninomiya, who previously appeared in Oshi no Ko and Last Samurai Standing.
Is 'Exit 8' Worth Watching?
Despite grossing only $44 million at the box office, Exit 8 has received widespread praise, earning a 92% Certified Fresh critics' score and an 86% audience score on Rotten Tomatoes, alongside a 3.2-star rating on Letterboxd. Exit 8 has also received recognition since its release, winning the "Hit Film category" at the 2025 TikTok Awards Japan and "Best Poster Design" at the Cannes Film Festival. Critics have described Exit 8 as "compelling" despite being "sparse and repetitive." They also praised its "claustrophobic and creepy" premise and how the film makes it work, with some calling it an "extraordinary take on a video game." Collider's Therese Lacson gave Exit 8 a 7/10 in her review after watching it at the Toronto International Film Festival. She praised the film for deviating from the game's original formula and for how the characters' different perspectives help break up its repetitiveness. However, she noted that the movie caters more to audiences familiar with the game.
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