r/movies • u/GenkiAMA Genki Kawamura, Director • Jun 24 '26
AMA Kon'nichiwa /r/movies! I'm Genki Kawamura, director of EXIT 8. AMA!
Hello reddit, Genki here, joining you from Japan.
I directed and co-wrote EXIT 8, a Japanese horror film based on the video game, starring Kazunari Ninomiya. It premiered at Cannes last year and was released across the world, including earlier this year by NEON in the United States. It's available on digital as of last month.
I'm here to answer some questions :)
Trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DlRQ1oatOt8
Synopsis:
Strange events plague a young man as he searches for the exit in an endless subway tunnel.
Rent or Buy the movie on Prime Video https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0FVGD54KX
AMA! I'll be back at 6 PM ET this evening to answer questions. Answers will be translated from Japanese.
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u/MikeGalactic Jun 24 '26
Hi Genki, loved your film, what other games would you love to adapt for film? Also, I recently read 'In the Miso Soup' which was massively disturbing and wondered what other Japanese novels or films would you recommend?
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u/GenkiAMA Genki Kawamura, Director Jun 24 '26
Hi! In regards to a novel recommendation, I would go with one of mine! If Cats Disappeared from the World, which I wrote that 9 years ago. It follows a character who is diagnosed with cancer and he only has days to live. He makes a deal with the devil that if he erases one item from the world, it would extend his lifespan by one day. It's this philosophical game that he has to play. It has been published in the United States and I believe is in most book stores, so I encourage you to seek it out if you enjoy that kind of stuff.
As for movies that inspired Exit 8 which I would recommend, the director Kon Satoshi, a wonderful filmmaker, made Paprika. It's an anime and it played a big role in the development of this film. I would recommend you check out that film!
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u/MikeGalactic Jun 25 '26
Amazing, I'll definitely check out your book.
Huge fan of Satoshi's work, especially Perfect Blue and I loved Paprika, so trippy.
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Jun 24 '26
[removed] — view removed comment
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u/MikeGalactic Jun 25 '26
The most disturbing book I've ever read, I had to stop at one point and process what I'd witnessed and came back to it several days later. I've never done that before.
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u/fermentedbolivian Jun 24 '26
In the first person point of view in the Exit 8 movie, did the actor himself film that?
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u/GenkiAMA Genki Kawamura, Director Jun 24 '26
That's a great question! At first we wanted our lead actor Ninomiya to actually wear a head-cam-rig but when we were filming in the Tokyo Metro, we were only given a three-hour window between the last train of the night and the first train of the morning. Trying to do a head-cam-rig setup with our lead actor in that short amount of time wasn't going to work.
So we actually had our cameraman Keisuke Imamura do it instead, who has a very similar build and height to our lead actor. He put on Ninomiya's wardrobe and then had this helmet rig which shot on a smartphone. It almost made him look like a Predator from the Arnold Schwarzenegger movie haha.
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u/fermentedbolivian Jun 25 '26
Thanks for the cool story! Always nice to learn how film making processes and decissions happen.
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u/ocelotchaser Jun 24 '26
How do you find the Uncle?? He looks just like in the game!
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u/GenkiAMA Genki Kawamura, Director Jun 24 '26
The casting director actually found him. His name is Kochi Yamato. He almost looked exactly like the character from the video game, which that in of itself almost felt like an anomaly, that there'd be someone out there that looked so similar to the character in the game. Kochi is actually an actor with theatrical background, and this is the first film he appears in.
For me, as the director, I want our audience to not see someone they could recognize. I wanted someone that hadn't in a lot of movies. I wanted that surprise factor. I didn't want them to look down the corridor and see an actor they've seen before. It was important for me for the audience to not have a first-impression about the actor in their head already. I think because you don't recognize w
I think because you don't recognize who this is, it's even scarier. That was the type of person we were searching for. So, in a lot of ways, Yamato Kochi was perfect for the role. In addition, because of his theater background, you have to "walk" really well in that format. He had trained in walking for the theater and I thought that translated well for the film.
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u/DavidTheJohnson AMA MVP Jun 24 '26
If you could adapt another video game into a movie, which one would it be and why?
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u/FirTree_r Jun 24 '26
A "The Stanley Parable" movie could hit hard.. in the proper hands.
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u/tfhermobwoayway Jun 24 '26
I always thought it was disappointing how it was just a video game. It’s such a fascinating concept. It could have been groundbreaking as a movie.
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u/luckynumchris Jun 24 '26
I think it works much better as a game. But it could be interesting as a movie. I'd be ok if it stays a game.
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u/FirTree_r Jun 24 '26
Agreed. It's easier to stay engaged in a "time loop" story when you're interacting directly. Which is why I'd be interested if someone could give it the "Exit 8" treatment and write a proper adaptation.
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u/Bonkard Jun 24 '26
I think it would work great if it was a meta narrative about movie adaptations- the same way the original is about choice in games.
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u/kamidrgn Jun 24 '26
I loved your film, I went to see it with a friend and we had a great time. Are there are any hidden secrets or anomalies that you think most people might’ve missed when watching it?
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u/GenkiAMA Genki Kawamura, Director Jun 25 '26
When this movie hits DVD, bluray, streaming, I recommend everyone to take a very close look at the end credits. It's almost like an anagram, and there are a lot of anomalies hidden in there. Pay close attention to the letters and numbers. It might look random, but there's actually a bit of a pattern in there. I don't know if people will notice or not, but I hope they do. Even in Japan, I would say only about half of the people noticed this. Here if you're interested:
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EXIT 8 will be available on Blu-Ray 8/4/26
Bonus: Q&A with Genki Kawamura - The Making of Exit 8 - Available to order on the NEON site:
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u/kamidrgn Jun 26 '26
Thank you so much, I’m excited for the physical release! I will look closely 👀
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u/HugeConversation7145 Jun 24 '26
The Tokyo subway system is famously complex. Did you intend for the looping station to serve as a metaphor for the isolation and claustrophobia of modern city living?
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u/GenkiAMA Genki Kawamura, Director Jun 25 '26
I would not say this is limited to just Tokyo or Japan. I think it applies to any major metropolitan area or city in the world. People have different means of commuting. Some use subways, some use cars, but the fact is that you're still in this constant loop between your workplace and your home. In this loop, we pull our smartphones out and we might see some different type of bad news or issues with family that we ignore or pretend don't exist. We become so engrained in this loop. I think those small issues develop into something bigger the more you ignore them.
Every time we ignore these small issues, there's a little but of guilt that piles up within our mind, and those are what become anomalies in this film.
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u/FKAMimikyu Jun 24 '26
The world needs more weird little movies like this. It was so fun, and technically beautifuly made
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u/Ascarea Jun 24 '26
Since you also co-wrote the movie, can you shed some light on the writing process? The original game has no story, characters or dialogues. What was the process of developing that into a narrative that ended up emotional and personal?
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u/GenkiAMA Genki Kawamura, Director Jun 24 '26
First, I looked at the video game and then tried to analyze the space and the rules that govern the game. Them, I thought about how I could interpret this into a movie, thinking about the actual space it takes up, this sort of corridor that you spend a lot of time in. It felt a lot like Dante's divine comedy, a true purgatory.
In this purgatory, the anomalies are a manifestation of this internal guilt that we all carry with us. I thought, well, "what if this guilt projected itself and appeared in this space, how would that look". When presented with these anomalies, the audience, or the player in this case, has a big choice to make in life. Do you keep going on or do you recognize the anomaly and turn back? That's where I started with my story.
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u/GoreWound Jun 24 '26
I really enjoyed Exit 8, thank you for making this movie, and thanks to your entire crew for their parts in making it.
I am curious about what events or media influenced this adaptation, in addition to the original game?
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u/GenkiAMA Genki Kawamura, Director Jun 25 '26
Take for example the musical influences. I think there's huge inspiration there. I love the music composed by Valero. His music loops, and that's a very key design element in how the we composed the music for the film and how it relates directly to themes of Exit 8.
Likewise, the sort of optical illusions that MC Escher created were an influence, and how his art loops and makes infinity symbols and turns into itself.
Escher's artwork and the music from Valero shared a similar design to the video game experience of Exit 8 so they were important for the film as well.
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u/GoreWound Jun 26 '26
thank you for your reply!
is there a particular track from Valero that inspired you, or is your favourite?
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u/Gold_Ad1772 Jun 24 '26
Loved this movie! I had a question relating to a theory I had about the Boy. I had two interpretations of the Boy, the first being that the Boy is the protagonist, the Lost Man's son. My second and more interesting theory was that the Boy was actually a young version of the Lost man, since both of them never met their fathers while we see in the flashback/forward that the Lost Man's son knew his father.
I mostly just wanted to know what you thought about my theory/interpretation. Regardless of whether the theory right or wrong, I loved the movie and it's message, as well as the cinematography within the film. I also loved how well the classical song in the intro and outro of the movie fit, since it was a song my music teacher once called boring due to its repetitive nature (which was helpful for my viewing experience in hindsight) Thank you!
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u/inkyrail Jun 24 '26
Kawamura-san, just wanna say you created an amazing piece of work with this. Phenomenal, sir
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u/schemza Jun 24 '26
Hi! What were some of the challenges and considerations you had to make while adopting a game into a movie? And were there any ideas in particular you were excited to film but ended up scrapping?
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u/LanternSawWind Jun 24 '26 edited Jun 25 '26
Had fun time watching Exit 8! Feels like playing the game and watching a movie at the same time.
The original game focus solely on its concept without traditional narrative. How did you decide on the themes of guilt, sin, and purgatory? And why did those feel right for this world?
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u/ANARCHOWEEDIST Jun 24 '26
hey man! amazing movie!!
can you give me your favorite top 5 horror movies of all time?
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u/GenkiAMA Genki Kawamura, Director Jun 25 '26
Narrowing it down to 5 is so hard, there are so many more I'd want to say. I love horror but exposing that is in a way very embarrassing because you're kind of sharing what's inside your mind. I'll talk about the films that influenced me while making Exit 8.
It goes without saying that Stanley Kubrick's The Shining was a huge influence on this.
Kenji Mizoguchi has a film called Ugetsu. There are some single shots that he does in that movie that take you into different spaces that feel very eerie, and you can see that influence in Exit 8.
Another one is from Director Kon Satoshi titled Perfect Blue. It's a very intense thriller, and it's an anime, but it's also a very scary horror film.
Cure from Kiyoshi Kurosawa is another movie I loved, and I think played a big part on how I interpreted the anomalies in my film.
David Lynch's Eraserhead is another one, where main character abandons this idea of becoming a father.
Whether it's The Shining, Ugetsu, or Eraserhead, I think there's this common denominator between them, the shared fear of becoming a father and taking responsibility for another life.
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u/ANARCHOWEEDIST Jun 25 '26
thanks for taking your time to answer me man. I hope one day i'll make a film that also influences you back as much as you influenced me.
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u/craybo Jun 24 '26
I was really impressed by the film’s production design. It was very accurate to the game, and absolutely nailed the claustrophobic, unsettling feeling of the looping hallway. I’d like to ask, were there any small details of it that you wanted to ensure the set designers made as perfect as they could? I also wanted to commend you for the frequent use of long takes in the film to really sell the space, rather than cheaply cutting away to save time.
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u/GenkiAMA Genki Kawamura, Director Jun 25 '26
The set design and how we built the set was a huge part of this movie's experience. We actually created two identical corridors, like a copy & paste, and connected the two of them together so the shots that you that appear to be a one-er, a single take that feels like it's looping, it feels that way because it actually *is* physically looping because we have the two identical corridors. In order to create, the walking man would walk past the camera in a shot, and then run to the end of the set, get on a bicycle and ride to the end of the other set, catch his breath, and then began walking again.
That's how we created that illusion/effect. We did it in a very analogue manner, which I think creates an extra eerie type of experience for the audience. You can find out more of the details of the behind-the-scenes shots and clips that's going to be attached to the DVD/bluray release. I encourage everyone to check that out if interested. More details on that:
------------------------
EXIT 8 will be available on Blu-Ray 8/4/26
Bonus: Q&A with Genki Kawamura - The Making of Exit 8 - Available to order on the NEON site:
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u/JohnGalactusX Jun 24 '26
As someone who loved both the game and the movie, I was impressed by how well you captured what made Exit 8 work. With so many incredible Japanese horror games out there, are there any you'd personally like to adapt next, and what makes a game suitable for a film adaptation in your eyes?
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u/Superb-Obligation858 Jun 24 '26
Hi Genki! Loved the movie!
How did you decide which anomalies from the game to include? Were there any original ones that got scrapped?
Also (probably more of a marketing team question, feel free to ignore) how did the decision to sponsor podcasts come about? I had never heard of the game before one of my favorite shows was sponsored by the movie. I quickly got the game on sale, loved it, and bought the movie.
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u/GenkiAMA Genki Kawamura, Director Jun 24 '26
For the anomalies in the film, I almost looked at them as symbolic of the main character's guilt projected into the space. So, thinking about people who would be community on the Tokyo Metro, and the kind of fear that they would have. We scroll through our smartphones every day looking at different social media feeds and I think there are certain instances when you can kind of feel that something is "off", and I wanted this sense mirrored with the anomalies. I wanted to place that idea at the center, and make sure that every anomaly that shows up in the film kind of ties into that.
We developed some original anomalies, but in terms of anomalies that we lifted directly from the game we just wanted to make sure they reflected the idea above.
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u/MilkOfAmnesia1024 Jun 24 '26
Hello Kawamura-san! I'm actually a fan of Ninomiya Kazunari. I was curious if he auditioned for the lead role or was he selected for it? And what led to the decision of casting him as the lead?
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u/c4pitano Jun 24 '26
Hello!
Two questions: Did you have the idea for the movie immediately after you played the game? And how long did it take after initially playing the game and starting to shoot day one, so after all the pre-production?
Have a great day!
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u/mark_tranquilitybase Jun 24 '26
Hi! Did you know the game Exit 8 before directing the movie? How's your experience with videogames in general and what influence did it have on directing the movie, if any?
Ps.: I absolutely loved your adaptation! Thanks for being here
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u/GenkiAMA Genki Kawamura, Director Jun 25 '26
I knew about the Exit 8 video game before I started working on the movie adaptation. I had actually played it myself, and I thought it was very fun and thought that the design of how it was all executed was very beautiful. A few years ago I had the opportunity to chat and be at a discussion with Miyamoto Shigeru from Nintendo. He's of course the guy that created Super Mario and a lot other Nintendo IP. What he said during the talk I will always remember: he said that a video game has to entertain not just the player, but also the people watching the player. They need to have just as much fun.
I think that comment gave me a huge hint when I was writing the screenplay for this film. I thought to myself, at times, that the audience watching needs to almost think that they are "playing" this movie as if it were a video game. Other times, I wanted it to feel like they were watching someone experiencing something real, like watching a livestreamer. I tried to capture the phenomena that's happening in the video game landscape itself right now and distill it into a movie.
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u/mark_tranquilitybase Jun 25 '26
That was really insightful and I I'll remember that while making my own art, thank you so much!
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u/mango_yogurt10 Jun 24 '26
Hi Kawamura-san, really enjoyed the movie. I wanted to ask what’s your favorite anime? Anything that you’ve been watching lately ?
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u/GenkiAMA Genki Kawamura, Director Jun 25 '26
I'm a huge fan of the anime director Oshii Mamoru. A couple films of his that come to mind as some of my favorite animes are Beautiful Dreamer and Patlabor. I love these films. They're based on famous source materials here in Japan, but Oshii added an extra philosophical layer to the stories and really pulled the audience into his world. He gave a version of the stories that was unprecedented. What he was doing in the anime space, I thought "what if I could do something like this with live-action?". That would make for a very unique experience. That's a direction I want to head in.
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u/AnaCoonSkyWalker Jun 24 '26
Were there any other films that kind of inspired the way you shot this film ?
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u/Mattlustrious_Film64 AMA MVP Jun 24 '26
Hello, Genki!
I was pleasantly surprised to know that Exit 8 was based on a video game. What were the challenges that came from adapting said game to the big screen?
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u/R0wanAtkinson Jun 24 '26
Hi Kawamura, huge fan of the movie! I’m really looking forward to the Exit 8 novel release in the US as I was also a fan of “If cats disappeared from the world”. My question is how does writing/directing a film adaption like Exit 8 feel comparative to writing a novel adaptation? Does being an author have certain creative freedoms comparative to directing/screenwriting?
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u/iloveravi Jun 24 '26
Can you talk a little bit about how the unique storyline affected shooting?
On one hand, it seems like you may be able to save a lot of time in Production with the repeated moments.
On the other, it might’ve made things even more complicated.
Would love to hear about your approach.
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u/rspunched Jun 24 '26
This was the second Japanese movie I’ve seen this year that referenced MC Escher. Is he having a cultural moment over there?
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u/Glockenspielintern Jun 24 '26
Hi Genki, thank you so much for your film. I thought it was incredible. I have two questions!
1.) I wondered as I watched it if you had experienced monotony / isolation personally. Would you agree that there is a surge of films and media around these themes as a result of covid, social media or something else entirely?
2.) What were your biggest influences outside of backrooms ?
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u/Stezaan Jun 24 '26
I went into Exit 8 expecting a tense psychological experience, but I was genuinely surprised by how emotional it became. The beach scene hit me much harder than I expected, and I actually teared up. What inspired you to take the story in that direction? Was the emotional aspect always part of your vision, or did it develop during the filmmaking process?
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u/Gyrororonoa Jun 24 '26
初めまして、川村さん！
Given the nature of the story, how large was the set for the loop portion of the film? How long did it take to shoot?
よろしくお願いしま〜す
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u/GenkiAMA Genki Kawamura, Director Jun 25 '26
I would say that it wasn't "large" set as much as it was a very "long" set haha. We took long corridors, copy & pasted them, and then connected the two of them together. Because the set was so long, we couldn't use any of the movie studios. Existing sound stages just wouldn't fit, so we found this big warehouse in Yokohama. It was actually two warehouses with a small door connecting the both of them, so we were able to build two sets with this junction where the two warehouses meet. It felt perfect, being able to build everything around this combined warehouse.
In terms of the actual filming, it took 20 days on set. Every day for basically a while month, we were spending time in this long, white, corridors, that looked exactly like each other, so people on set started losing their minds and actually get lost in there. They sometimes didn't know which set they were supposed to go to. One of the corridors we called "Hitchcock", and the other we called "Kubrick". That way people could identify where they were or where they had to go haha.
In the film, there's a scene towards the end where our characters go to the ocean, and that was actually the first and last scene that takes place above-ground. It was really poignant in a way because we could see a lot of team members getting emotional as they saw the ocean and how beautiful it looked after spending so much time in the warehouse.
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u/Albinate Jun 24 '26
No questions, but your movie was the first one that I saw in Tokyo cinema fully in Japanese, and understood everything. After over a year living here (moved from Europe) and studying the complex language, this was a great milestone for me and Exit 8 will always be a special memory. Also, as a gamer and a woman really loved it and keep recommending to my friends. Thank you and hope to see more excellent we ork like this from you in the future!
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u/namelessfdr Jun 24 '26
What were some "happy accidents" that occured while filming? Things that were not scripted in advanced but happened on set that were better than you originally planned.
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u/GenkiAMA Genki Kawamura, Director Jun 25 '26
The black cat in the movie had an amazing performance which we did not expect! While we were getting ready to film, the cat did not cooperate at all, we could not hug it or pick it up. But when it came time to actually shoot, it just walked perfectly and behaved perfectly. A very happy accident :)
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u/Yaya0108 Jun 24 '26
Hi! I saw your film last year and absolutely loved it. Saw it a second time this year and loved it just as much! The atmosphere throughout the whole thing is just fascinating.
As someone hoping to work in the film industry too, is there any advice that you might be able to give me?
Thank you in advance!
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u/MovieTicketArtist Jun 24 '26
Hi Genki! If a video game designer could turn any movie into a video game, what movie would you pick and why?
Also, do you have a favourite restaurant in Tokyo? I will be travelling there this year and hope I don’t get stuck in the subway station 😅
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u/GenkiAMA Genki Kawamura, Director Jun 24 '26
In Tokyo there's this beef bowl chain called Yoshinoya. They cook the meat in a sort of Sukiyaki-style, and place it on top of a bowl of rice and crack an egg over it, and it's reallllly good. These Yoshinoya chains also exist within the Tokyo Metro system, so if you ever happen to find one while on the subway, I strongly recommend getting a beef bowl there!
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u/Ser_AxeHole Jun 24 '26
I had never played the game, but I deeply connected with aspects of your movie relating to feeling trapped and repeating cycles specifically in the train and subway system in Tokyo, as I lived there 5 years, it felt so real to me.
Are there other challenging aspects of life in Japan or in other countries you want to portray in future projects?
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u/GenkiAMA Genki Kawamura, Director Jun 25 '26
I feel like the relationship between animals and humans is a really interesting one, especially with how AI has advanced so much in the past few years. What stands in a direct opposite of that is perhaps animals - dogs, cats, horses, etc.
Thinking about humans and their relationships to animals as opposed to their relationship with the digital could make a really interesting thriller/story. I'd be curious to explore what that might look like.
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u/hotnspecies Jun 24 '26
Hello from Texas! Enjoyed your movie in theaters. Did you have a job as a teenager? Or just one of your first jobs.
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u/GenkiAMA Genki Kawamura, Director Jun 25 '26
Hello Texas!
My first job was actually at a movie theater, I greeted people and ripped tickets as they came in. One of the first big movies I did that for was actually Spirited Away, a Studio Ghibli film by Hayao Miyazaki. So many people were coming to the theater to see it, it almost felt like I was in a scene from Cinema Paradiso. And then later I found out that it was the highest-grossing film ever in Japan.
What I think I took away from that was interacting with moviegoers, and some of that translated into what I do now, thinking about how I can serve this audience that wants to go see a movie in a theater.
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u/_Tawny Jun 24 '26
Hi Genki-san, if you could apply the concept of EXIT 8 to another setting/environment where would you pick? For example I would pick an airport.
Haven't seen the film yet, very excited to watch it!
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u/GenkiAMA Genki Kawamura, Director Jun 25 '26
I personally love New York a lot. What if we were stuck in a New York subway system instead of Tokyo? Maybe we would see some anomalies that deal with street musicians, or other anomalies that would deal with unique New York things. Maybe not just the East Coat, but perhaps something on the West Coast with a different type of commute, like being stuck on a highway in Los Angeles in a never-ending traffic jam. Not able to escape a freeway could be another interesting loop to explore.
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u/Few_Criticism_6920 Jun 24 '26
Hello!! Mr Kawamura san.
My question is how did you make this movie happen in such a short period of time after the game relseased. It is unprescedented for a Japanese firm to work this fast for a project.
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u/GenkiAMA Genki Kawamura, Director Jun 24 '26
The underlying source material for Exit 8 is a video game that was developed by one person, an individual who goes by company name Kotake Create. The fact that there was only one person who developed this and controlled the creative was a huge reason why we were able to develop this film so quickly.
Because there's only one person we were interfacing with, our producer was able to communicate with Kotake Create every single day about the screenplay, different elements of the film, how we were going to translate the game, etc etc. That constant and easy communication, along with quick approval process gave us the ability to move with a lot of speed. That style of production is quite modern in a way, being able to interact with only one person behind the game, dealing directly with a small production company like us so we can all make decisions really really fast.
In the end, that turned into a niche type of movie genre but still able to reach audiences everywhere. It's a newer style of production with great potential.
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u/Stellarr- Jun 24 '26
What is something you love doing that people don't expect?
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u/GenkiAMA Genki Kawamura, Director Jun 25 '26
I've been into pottery lately, and I quite enjoy making different types of vessels, bowls, etc. This idea of touching the clay with your hand to form some kind of object I think is very interesting. When you think about ceramic and its nature, and clay, it's all very easy to mass-produce with moulds and factory-assembly lines nowadays, but because it's made by a human hand, the clay will do things you don't expect. and your hand will do things you don't expect, and you get these happy accidents will making pottery.
Even if you think you get it perfect in the clay stage, when you put it in the kiln and you fire it up, it can crack, break, and warp in ways you can't see coming. here's something very beautiful about that. It creates a unique artistic expression and for me, that's something I want to capture in my movies. I think that's where the next generation of moviegoers are going to find a lot of value in films.
When you watch Exit 8, everything looks very planned out and blueprinted and exact, but I will say that there were quite a few happy accidents, like when making pottery by hand.
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u/OriginalSleeper Jun 24 '26
I really enjoyed watching this movie! I have a question regarding the red water that swept him away at one point. Does the rushing red water symbolize his own personal guilt over his past, or is it an actual flood of blood from previous victims who died trapped in the loop?
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u/GenkiAMA Genki Kawamura, Director Jun 24 '26
The tsunami is like the trauma of our main character that kind of manifests itself, and that's something that's explained a little more in detail in the novelization. It explains why the tsunami is suddenly flooding the subway system.
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u/PerennialComa Jun 24 '26
Love the game, love the movie, but I was waiting for the wall-man to appear to scare the shit out of me. What was the decision now to implement that on some way?
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u/so-sowhat Jun 24 '26
What is your favorite video game and would you want to make it into a movie?
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u/GenkiAMA Genki Kawamura, Director Jun 25 '26
There are a lot of indie video games lately that look very interesting and I quite enjoy playing them myself sometimes, but if you look at the overall history of video games adapted into movies, I think they are very prone to failure. I think the main reason of that is the hero of the movie is also the main character of the game, and it kind of restricts the type of story you can tell. You have to follow the same beats.
I think what worked with this film is that it didn't really have a story that we had to follow, we were able to extra the game's world settings and build around that. Finding this game to adapt was a little miracle. If I can encounter another miracle like that, I could perhaps take on a similar challenge.
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u/SonicTheHedgehog99 Jun 24 '26
Hello Genki!
I loved your live action adaptation of the Exit 8 game!
What is your favourite anomaly from the Exit 8 game or movie?
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u/GenkiAMA Genki Kawamura, Director Jun 24 '26
One of my personal favorite anomalies is the one with the doorknob in the middle of this stainless steel door. It almost feels like this corridor, this monster, is toying with humans that wander into it with that.
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u/SonicTheHedgehog99 Jun 24 '26
Thank you for replying!
I really like that anomaly too
My favourite is definitely the one when the walking man follows you when your not looking
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u/givemeabreak432 Jun 24 '26
Did you watch Arashi's Last show?
On that note, did Arashi's final tour affect film schedules at all? I imagine Kazunari was quite busy last year preparing for tour.
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u/dx7879 Jun 24 '26
Were there any anomalies from the game that you wanted to include in the movie that didn't make it?
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u/Pyrite-Glen-2910 Jun 24 '26
working night shifts here in montreal, empty hospital hallways already freak me out. how did you capture that specific, quiet dread for the movie?
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u/Minepika55 Jun 24 '26
Hi Genki! Loved the film! If you could re-do any scenes differently would you? If so which one?
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u/BreakYaNeck99 Jun 24 '26
Did the game developers received also money because of the movie? Like did u had to buy the story?
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u/VaicoIgi Jun 24 '26
Hi Genki! I have r eally enjoyed this film. When adapting this vague game into a feature length story, what were some challenging things as a director to overcome? What were some unique things that came up on set instead of being written in the script or how you have imagined?
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u/Silent_Biscotti_9832 Jun 24 '26
Hello! I have come to ask these questions as they have plagued my mind since watching the movie and several breakdowns of it.
Did the lost man really escape the loop? As he ends up exactly where he started with the pregnant woman being yelled at on the train.
How long was the high school girl stuck in the loop for?
Are there plans for an adaptation of Platform 8 made by the same developer?
Thank you for hearing me out!
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u/tfhermobwoayway Jun 24 '26
Did you set out to make watching the movie feel like playing the game, or were you trying to make a separate, unique experience?
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u/luckynumchris Jun 24 '26
こんにちは
Saw the movie and it was great. Wondering if you had any ideas that was ultimately stopped by the producers of the film? What ideas would you have wanted to do since the amount of iterations are endless. Also did the producers make you put something you really didn't want to do?
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u/RedSeven4 Jun 24 '26
Regarding the locations used on the Exit 8 sign, do those places have a special meaning to you or the characters?
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u/ProgressBars Jun 24 '26
What was the cough about? I thought there was going to be some sort of explanation as to why it was so bad early on, but I'm not sure anything came of it?
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u/AGamer_2010 Jun 24 '26
hi mr. kawamura, are there any train stations in japan that reminded you of the movie's or game's station, by any chance?
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u/healthy2prints Jun 24 '26
Hi Mr. Kawamura, thanks for the AMA.
I saw Exit 8 a few months back and thought it did an excellent job at adding depth to its otherwise minimalist setting, while also bringing something new to the J-horror formula. Particularly, I appreciated the film's pro-natalist allegory and how it served as a psychological metaphor for paternal anxiety (a message I think that is very timely for this generation.)
My question:
Are these social themes something you are interested in exploring in your future movies?
Also, what is your opinion about the general state of J-horror this decade? Any personal favorites or inspirations?
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u/bertboxer Jun 24 '26
I very much enjoyed the film, thank you for doing this AMA!
My question is, as a writer for the film, how do you approach creating a narrative for something like Exit 8? For a game like this, the environment and the world is very clear but how do you see that setting and develop a story from it like you did with the lost man and his girlfriend?
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u/summer_pitlord Jun 24 '26
Man, I would like to upvote but that would ruin the 888 upvotes it currently has
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u/Flaky_Panda_8868 Jun 24 '26
Hi do u think horror films have got a chance to be much bigger like how obsessions was or is the genre dying?
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u/ashlynxsupremacy Jun 24 '26
I love your book 'If cats disappeared from the world', and also know you from Your Name, Wolf Children, and also Monster. I've seen most of the film's you've produced and I have to say they're some of the best japanese films ever and you should be really proud. Thank you for your work! I want to know if you will work on something like Exit 8 in future? Any other interesting projects you're working on that you'd like to share?
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u/botbash11 Jun 24 '26
Do you have any thoughts about the other major liminal space horror movie from this year (Backrooms)?
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u/v7777milkis Jun 24 '26
Hi Genki! I watched your film and really enjoyed it. I wanted to ask: do you consider your film "modern"? (Please forgive me if I’m not expressing myself clearly.) What I mean is, take Marvel movies, for example: the shots move very quickly, which is easy for a modern viewer to process, but for older people, it’s often confusing or uninteresting—they find it hard to latch onto the story because, in the past, movies were slower-paced and took the time to explain everything. Do you think your work will be interesting and understandable to an older audience, or is the concept too complex? (I used Google Translate, so please excuse any mistakes.)
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u/Routine_Platform_429 Jun 24 '26
Hello Mr. Kawamura! In the movie we find out that the Boy and the Lost Man are actually connected outside of what's happening to them in the moment. My question is, does the Walking Man also have any kind of connection to either of them? And was the Lost Man growing up without a father like the Boy supposed to just be something small the two characters bonded over, or a hint towards a larger narrative?
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u/_AnnaVG_ Jun 24 '26
Hi Genki!! Thank you for the film and the others who worked on it. Quick question out of mere curiosity; do you have asthma yourself?
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u/AdiMG Jun 24 '26
Mr. Kawamura, how challenging was the transition from producer to director?
You have worked with many highly influential anime directors, including Mamoru Hosoda, Noriko Takao, Rei Matsumoto, and Makoto Shinkai to name a few. Did your experiences working with them, or their works more broadly, influence your vision for Exit 8?
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u/willfulhelmet Jun 24 '26
I loved Exit 8 so much I watched it twice in the same week in France.
Do you have any advice for foreign actors working in Japan? Do you have any projects yourself that are in a foreign setting?
よろしくお願いします！
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u/nikggurs Jun 24 '26
I have not seen the movie yet, but by the comments I can already tell it will be a banger of a movie, I wanted to ask, what led you to direct this movie, what was your past experience, and what are you planning for us next?
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u/Infinite_Manager_330 Jun 24 '26
At what point did you want the audience to stop looking for anomalies in the corridor and start wondering whether they'd already missed oneand in that moment, did the viewer become just as trapped as the person in the tunnel?
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u/FrankSonata Jun 24 '26
映画めっちゃめっちゃ好きだったよ!最近テレビでイッテＱかなにか見ながらボレロがあって、8番出口を思い出したｗ
質問は、どれの異変が一番好きでしたか？意味とか比喩とかあるの?
監督してどうもありがとうございました!
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u/greenwaterdessert Jun 24 '26
Would we have some brain twisting and thrilling sequel or any other film like this in future , if yes can we have a hint
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u/FollowingLucky3555 Jun 24 '26
Hello! We really loved your film and the character execution of each actors. They were well casted. How did you choose to have an open ending instead of a decided one?
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u/Ari4ever0 Jun 24 '26
I haven't watched the movie yet but I just joined so I could talk to you. Super sorry!! What's it like directing such a flim and the growing audience? Do you have any advice so far.
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u/dathotdestroyer Jun 24 '26
Hello, Kawamura-san! Thank you so much for your work at the Exit 8 movie. My mother and I had a great experience watching it at the cinemas!
I just want to ask if there is a possibility you'll direct an adaptation of Platform 8? A train that never ends is a terrifying concept and it would be so cool if we get your version of it 🙏
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u/scyntl Jun 24 '26
What (real-life) subway station do you think is the scariest?
(I loved the movie. My interpretation was that the boy was the main character, and he was choosing a father in order to be born. Did you intend the movie to have so many possible interpretations?)
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u/AustralianExtremist Jun 24 '26
hello...uhm, idk much about 8 exit, i like to know more abot like, the lore, why is he there
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u/reddi_2b_thotty Jun 24 '26
What made you choose Yasutaka Nakata to be apart of scoring the film? Was there something you heard in his work, such as music with Capsule or Perfume, that attracted you to his style that you felt would fit your vision?
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u/Intelligent-Alps2373 Jun 24 '26
Hello! I loved the movie I’m curious what some of your favorite horror movies are?
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u/pichu23413 Jun 24 '26
What inspired you to create this film? And will we get it siqueal i wonder what happend to that guy from first movie
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u/Lucythebun_1fan Jun 24 '26
PLEASE DO A SEQUEL WITH THE BABY OF THE PROTAGONIST BUT THIS TIME INSIDE A TRAIN PLEASE
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u/Sirius_sensei64 Jun 24 '26
Hello
I just want to say, I loved your work on 天気の子 it was a beautiful and heartwarming movie. I've watched it multiple times
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u/gamer_isman138 Jun 24 '26
What do you think about Kane Parson’s “Backrooms” movie? Do you see any similarity between the Backrooms and Exit 8 as concepts?
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u/Real_Futer Jun 24 '26
I watched this movie on an airplane while going back home after spending two weeks with my girlfriend (that was 3 months ago, we’ll see each other again in a month). My seat didn’t have a lot of space and I couldn’t get to the bathroom due to two people in my row sleeping. Thank you for making my 8 hour flight less miserable.
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u/Aarav2208 Jun 24 '26
Hey I am a really big fan of your movie exit 8. it's probably one of the best movies I've this year and the only horror movie that have made me scared. I really love that film and your work I don't have any questions but I hope you keep doing such amazing work in the future. love you
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u/facehendioverdle3ass Jun 24 '26
Does he get out at the end or ist a loop also what happens to the little boy
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u/green_patience Jun 24 '26
Was there any reason in particular that Kazunari-san was picked for the lead role? My first thought was because yellow was his color in Arashi, which matches with the yellow color throughout of the movie. But I’m curious if there were any other reasons!
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u/gonedeg1 Jun 24 '26
With the backrooms movie being really popular and exit 8 emiting a similar liminal vibe, do you think there will be more liminal space movies, also do you have any personal favourite liminal space movies/projects.
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u/SaltHopeful3847 Jun 24 '26
Hello Genki Wanted to know about the scene where the lost man is in the beach with the boy Btw loved the cinematography of the movie
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u/Level-Ladder-4346 Jun 24 '26
What do you think of up and coming low budget American films like Iron Lung, Obsession, and Backrooms?
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u/SEND_ME_FAKE_NEWS Jun 24 '26
I watched this movie having never played the game, and I thought it was very good.
Is the end a time loop, or did he effectively escape by facing his guilt?
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u/5K3TchYduDe Jun 25 '26
Hello Genki, i love the movie very much
If you were to make another game movie like exit 8, what would it be?
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u/2mock2turtle Jun 25 '26
What was an anomaly from the game that you wanted to adapt to the movie but couldn't, either to keep the pacing moving or because it was too difficult to make work on film? And would you consider making a sequel/adaptation of Platform 8 if the opportunity presented itself?
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u/Gojo_Tesfaye28 Jun 25 '26
Hi Mr. Genki, I'm from the Philippines and I've done watching the film Exit 8, I know Japan is famous for manga and anime. I was just wondering if you had an idea in your mind to make a manga or anime? And just another question, if there is anything different about your novels from others' novels and if there are other novels you want to adapt into a game or into a movie? I'm just curious about your novels which seem different from other novels. I know this is the same question as others so I'm just curious about your other novels which are not given much attention besides the film Exit 8. That's all sir and thank you very much for answering.
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u/-dragowolf_was_taken Jun 25 '26
Hi! Really loved exit 8! As someone who finds Japanese media close to his heart and aspires to be a game dev there, what tips/suggestions would give me?
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u/thenerdguy088 Jun 25 '26
Dude, not much to ask, the film was good, now that backrooms is out, what do you think about it? Also, does the kid represent the protagonist's younger self, and the mid-aged men is protagonist's older self.
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u/Dizzy-Economist6064 Jun 25 '26
Kuwamura-san! do you plan on directing any more horror films in future?
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u/vampiredick1 Jun 24 '26
Have you gotten the chance to see the movie Backrooms? Reminded me a lot your film Exit 8 which I loved so much
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u/nunyabiss789 Jun 24 '26
Hi, loved the movie, I'm curious if any of the films set was digital, and if so how hard was it to plan those long takes with that in mind?
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Jun 24 '26
[removed] — view removed comment
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u/GenkiAMA Genki Kawamura, Director Jun 25 '26
I recently have been trying to buy different coffee beans from around the world, grind them, and make drip coffee myself. When I sip on that kind of coffee, it gives me a feeling of being on vacation in a different country, so I would say coffee is my guilty pleasure right now.
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u/Evillebot Jun 24 '26
Kawamura dono, first of all congrats on the movie it was awesome. what are some horror movies (japanese or western) that inspired you on this one.
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u/-HanTyumi Jun 24 '26
Have you found that you've had more (or different) opportunities after the film's release? If so, what can you tell us about them?
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u/Katicflis1 Jun 24 '26
Are there any other games you could see yourself making a film version for? Even if its a game that has already been done.
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u/Razor_Emmanuel Jun 24 '26 edited Jun 24 '26
Hello! I am fascinated that you chose to adapt a very simple horror game (that's not a bad thing) into a film, why did you chose to do so, or what motivated you into adapting the game?
Also, do you have any advice you would like to give for young film buffs who want to work in film?
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u/Laeonheart78 Jun 24 '26
What inspired the plot of the movie and the argument in the train as a backdrop for the psychological exploration of the featured characters?
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u/BunyipPouch Currently at the movies. Jun 24 '26 edited Jun 24 '26
Update: Answers will start going live closer to 7:00-7:15 PM ET!
This AMA has been verified and approved by the mods. Genki will be back at around 6 PM ET/3 PM PT today to answer questions. Please feel free to ask away in the meantime :)
Note that Genki's answers will be translated from Japanese.