tech
'Opening the hidden door within us': how Exit 8 took a simple game to purgatory
Genki Kawamura’s eerie new film expands on a haunting video game that leaves players lost in endless subway tunnels. He explains how this makes viewers and players face their worst fears
TL;DR
- Genki Kawamura adapted the horror game 'Exit 8' into a film, inspired by its game design, visuals, and the way players create their own stories.
- The game traps players in an endlessly looping subway station where they must spot anomalies to escape.
- Kawamura expanded the film's narrative to explore themes of guilt stemming from societal indifference, comparing the subway setting to a purgatory.
- The film draws parallels to Dante's 'Divine Comedy' and the concept of liminal spaces, which evoke deep-seated fears and encourage introspection.
- 'Exit 8' aligns with a trend of indie horror games and films exploring desolate urban locations and existential dread, similar to 'The Backrooms' mythology.