Video game adaptations always managed to get people talking. Book adaptations, too, but given the literacy crisis those don't get nearly as hotly debated. It's also thanks to games being an audiovisual medium, getting one over on film with the addition of interactivity, so it's much easier to directly compare games to the movies that bring them to the big screen. Given that these movies are handled by a different team than the game designers, there's always something that's not quite like the original for better or for worse.

Exit 8 is a rare case of an adaptation that's not only faithful to the premise of its source, but what it adds are definite boons on its quality. The original characters and the themes that come with them make for a surprisingly compelling story that managed to get me invested. Combine that with some excellent cinematography and good acting all around, and I can safely say that this beats the game by a mile.

Personal Score

this criteria uses the DecentFilms rating formula.

Letter-Grade Recommendability: A
Artistic/Entertainment Value - ★★★★☆
Moral/Spiritual Value - +4
Age Appropriateness: Teens & Up

Before mentioning the story, I should cover how well Exit 8 adapts its game. The environment is almost exactly the same in every aspect, the only exceptions being the poster designs being changed and the inclusion of some lockers at the very end of the level. The game already had great visual fidelity but taking it into the world of film elevates it to the extreme, especially when you count in the anomalies, which include several from the game as well as some wholly original ones. This feels like a perfect expansion of the original concept.

When it comes to the story, that's where things get the most interesting. There are three protagonists in Exit 8, divided into chapters that flow together: the Lost Man, the Walking Man, and the Boy. The majority of our time is spent with the Lost Man, played by {insert actor name here}, and he's the most compelling. A man struggling with responsibility and confidence, he's thrown into this strange phenomena which tests his mind and heart. In a surprising change from the game, the Exit 8 actively produces anomalies that play into his insecurities, confronting him psychologically. This goes for all three protagonists, who all have some flaw that the Exit exploits to bring out their best and worst.

Given that anomalous horror is inherently psychological this works really well, and it made this crisis a personal thing for everyone involved. The Lost Man in particular developed a very compelling story and I only rooted for him more as it went on, especially when he begins to show some truly virtuous traits. It'd be more fair to the Walking Man and the Boy to label them as secondary characters, as they get less development than the Lost Man, but both bring out the Exit in different ways that flesh out how this weird phenomenon works. In a way Exit 8 portrays its premise as being a character itself, and you're invited to theorize on the nature of the Exit.

All of this is wrapped in a wonderful presentation. The film makes use of long shots and one-takes to great effect, and a notable POV segment at the start sets the stage very well. The camera lingers on faces and environments long enough to get into my head, and I found myself scouring the screen for clues just as the characters did. The film extremely visual-focused and when an anomaly is missed it's often very subtle, challenging the viewer to spot where the characters have gone wrong. This perfectly captures the experience of how the game is played, and it's an added level of faithfulness to the premise that I am very happy they stuck to.

If I could fault Exit 8 for anything, it would be that the film might be too long. While I personally enjoyed it all the way through, I can see several moments where it feels like the scene is going on for too long and could be shortened. This movie isn't very long as it is, clocking in at a rather standard 90 minutes, but given that you can beat the game in under a hour this would have benefited just as much from being a short film. This is also a movie that assumes you are completely on board with the concept presented, so it doesn't try to explain or build up much to what it does. As mentioned I didn't feel like this was a problem, but I can see this being a gripe others may have with the film.

The Backrooms film by A24 is coming out in a month, and I believe it has a lot to live up to. Exit 8 manages to capture the atmosphere and mechanics of the game perfectly and only enhances it with the added story and leads. For me this is the best anomaly-themed story I've seen and it'll certainly be my benchmark going forward.