A Japanese film called Exit 8 opened in US cinemas on April 10, and one critic is calling it one of the most creative video game adaptations ever made. Directed by Genki Kawamura, the film is based on a popular indie game of the same name and was a massive box-office hit in Japan.

The story follows a man — known only as “The Lost Man” — who becomes trapped in a repeating loop inside a Tokyo subway corridor. Every time he walks toward Exit 8, he finds himself back at the starting point. To escape, he must carefully observe his surroundings and identify what is out of the ordinary.

The film stays remarkably faithful to the original game, where players navigate the same underground tunnel and must spot anomalies to progress to the next level. However, the director adds emotional depth by giving the character a personal backstory and a difficult decision waiting for him outside.

The lead role is played by Kazunari Ninomiya, a well-known Japanese pop star who previously appeared in Clint Eastwood’s Letters from Iwo Jima.

The film has been praised for its clever use of repetition and its deeper message about human connection. The film runs 95 minutes and is shown in Japanese with English subtitles.