Exit 8

Beautiful. Thrilling. Heartfelt. So beautiful and interesting, with so many layers of depth and meaning hidden behind each character. Can't believe I found this to watch immediately after Backrooms. Both films make great use of the liminal space concept. What initially feels like a maze or puzzle film gradually reveals itself to be so much more than that. The puzzle almost takes on a life of its own here, functioning like a teacher guiding the characters towards important decisions they need to make in their lives. The way the film integrates each character's story with the puzzle is so beautifully handled. It never overwhelms you with the puzzle mechanics and manages to be enjoyable and heartfelt at the same time. The symbolism throughout is fantastic, and everything feels connected with great attention to detail. The camera work is some of the best I have ever seen. The way shots are connected to look like long one-take sequences is amazing, and on top of that, there are genuinely long, real one-take shots too, which makes the performances even more impressive. The actors rise to that challenge exceptionally well. The performances overall are really amazing, and the production design also deserves great praise. On the downside, some rules and dynamics of the puzzle can be argued to be unrealistic, but that would be an unfair criticism. The puzzle here is not just a puzzle, it is a metaphor used to teach and enhance something for the characters. Judging it purely on its logic would be missing the point entirely. Overall, loved this film. It has easily become one of my all time favourites.