‘Exit 8’ is an Exceptional Liminal Thriller and the Best Video Game Adaptation Ever Made - Cannes 2025

I’ve long been fascinated by what I call No Exit Horror, a term I’ve coined for a sub-genre rooted in existential dread, where characters are trapped in singular, oppressive spaces they cannot escape. Think of such liminal space thrillers as Cube, Dead End, Pontypool, or even The Shining. I took the name from French writer/philosopher Jean-Paul Sartre, of course, and like his play No Exit, these films trap their characters not just in rooms but in loops of self-denial, regret, or moral indecision.

Genki Kawamura’s masterful Exit 8, which just had its eerie and unforgettable premiere in the Cannes Midnight Screenings section, uses this trope so effectively that it might just be the most exceptional video game adaptation ever made.