Film Fests
Overlook Film Festival: ‘Exit 8’ Review
If you’re at the intersection of video games and horror, then you know not all video game film adaptations are created equally. For every Silent Hill (2006), Werewolves Within, or Detention (2019), there is a lot of heartbreak and titles we’re still trying to forget. Which is why, when Kotake Create’s beloved Exit 8 video game was tapped to become a film, we held our collective breath. How would this quick psychological nightmare transfer to a feature-length film? Would the filmmaker chosen understand the assignment? Luckily, the movie works overall, and horror and game nerds have another title in the win column.
In Case You Missed It
Exit 8 puts gamers into the shoes of an unseen protagonist who is stuck in a subway station. Players soon realize that this location is not what it seems. They are also tasked with spotting anomalies in hopes of making it to the eighth level and (hopefully) back to the real world. Some of the anomalies are subtle, some are anxiety-inducing, and some leave you wanting to scream WTF? However, the game is a pretty quick introduction to liminal spaces and self-gaslighting.
The film, written by Kentaro Hirase and Genki Kawamura, understands what made the game effective. They even keep and elevate some of the anomalies that were my personal favorites. The duo also builds three very distinct characters to keep us from sitting for 95 minutes of vibes.
Walking Man (Yamato Kochi) is not just the creepy guy making circles in this hallway with us in the film. He gets a full arc in his chapter that informs us he was a human who panicked and made the wrong choice. He is now doomed to spend eternity here as part of others’ nightmarish quests. While all of the performances are great, Kochi brings a humanity and sadness to the role that was unexpected. He finds ways of using his character’s repetitive nature as a way to add subtle layers. This makes the shift into his chapter feel more alive, frantic, and heartbreaking. We know this journey isn’t going to end well for him, but it’s hard not to fully invest and feel that heartbreak anyway.
It’s Not All Great at Exit 8
Exit 8 plays with us in the beginning before shifting from first-person perspective to reveal our protagonist will be Lost Man (Kazunari Ninomiya). He and his girlfriend are having a moment when he ends up in this subway station on a loop. Their phone conversation reveals she’s pregnant, so Lost Man is having a bad day before getting stuck in liminal limbo. This, on its own, is fine. However, after a lot of laps, he meets The Boy (Naru Asanuma) and discovers he is not an anomaly.
The Boy ties Lost Man and Walking Man’s stories together. He tries to assist both of them on their journeys while being too afraid to speak for most of his screentime. Again, all of the performances are great, but a kid killing it with a mostly silent role is highly impressive. His relationship with these two broken and frightened men is believable and palpable. He and Lost Man specifically bond and form a lovely duo that, unfortunately, underscores the pregnant girlfriend to lead to a very pro-life message.
Exit 8’s Politics Derail the Horror
Kawamura directed the hell out of Exit 8, and it’s a good time. However, it’s hard to wash away the very heavy swerve into pro-life territory in 2026. Especially as a person with ovaries who lives in a country that doesn’t want me to have autonomy. Horror is political, and this game has so many things that could have been expanded on. The insertion of an anti-choice layer into a film centered on three male characters (at three very different stages of life) is wild. I personally hated it because, aside from that, it does capture the vibes of the game. It feels like watching someone piss in the lemonade on a hot summer day.
Anthologies sit firmly next to found footage as my favorite type of horror content. It doesn’t matter whether they come together or stand alone. There are many franchises/heavy hitters over the past twenty-ish years. But to me, none have been as impactful as V/H/S. That is, until V/H/S: Viral. But that’s a story for November. V/H/S I & II had begun to set up this weird and wonderful connected world with rules. Watching certain tapes in a row seemed to summon something. By the time the third film came out, all hopes of world-building had gone out the window. This left the later films to be a mishmash of whatever anyone wanted. When I watched Final Transmissions for GenreBlast X, I felt something I hadn’t felt towards an anthology since the first two V/H/S films: craft, ingenuity, drive, hunger, passion.
Final Transmissions is the latest in anthology television that blends singular stories into an overarching narrative. While only having seen the first three episodes, Final Transmissions has set up this gorgeous world of terror that is already starting to pay off through the series’ wraparound. Hosted by Richard Slate (Brian Villalobos), Final Transmissions is a strange public access show from the eve of the year of Y2K. Lost to time but now found, Final Transmissions is amalgamated from the raw footage provided to a group of filmmakers. What transpires over the first three episodes is truly… otherworldly. The latest project from The Horror Hippies, Steven Hugh Nelson and Erica Nelson, comes a transmission that I hope is not final.
Doctor Midnight (S1E1)
Written/directed/edited by Steven Hugh Nelson
A man (Steven Hugh Nelson) heads to an abandoned hospital to conjure, and hopefully destroy, Doctor Midnight (Steven Hugh Nelson ((and Erica Nelson per IMDb))). Doctor Midnight was an evil doctor who would record his patients moments before their deaths. Unfortunately for the man, Doctor Midnight still lurks in the shadows.
Never have I felt a segment in an anthology that felt like it perfectly belonged alongside segments from the first two V/H/S films. That’s not to say Doctor Midnight can’t/shouldn’t exist on its own merit. But this episode of Final Transmissions makes me feel the exact way I felt when first watching V/H/S. There’s a rawness to Doctor Midnight that lends a unique authenticity to the episode. I also think I may be partial to Steven Hugh Nelson’s overall style. His feature directorial debut, Old Wounds, was stunning and Doctor Midnight just proves that Nelson is a master of found footage.
Setting The Stage
Doctor Midnight sets the stage for not just what’s to come regarding the segments, but what the overall story may plan to be. Richard Slate ruminates on what technology could/would be; a running question is can technology actually curse people? The wraparound story, titled The Broadcast, which is also written/directed/edited by Steven Hugh Nelson, is subtle but perfect. Richard Slate’s character slowly morphs into someone different within the first episode, but Nelson’s writing handles it with absolute class.
Nothing is over-the-top or hammered into your head. Rather, Steven Hugh Nelson weaves tiny supernatural elements and details into the story; it edges the audience to the tip of terror and delightfully plays with the audience like a cat with a mouse. This leads to multiple standout moments that are insanely impactful. And we’re still just on Episode 1!
You Were Never Alone (S1E2)
Written/edited by Michael J. Epstein // directed by Sophia Cacciola & Michael J. Epstein
Mikey Adams (Fayna Sanchez) is an astronaut who is alone on a spaceship. Mikey’s co-astronauts, Robert Torres (Charles Chudabala) and Sally Clark (Maiya Reaves), are on the moon. Their only communication is via radio. But they’re not alone. They were never alone. It’s not long until Mikey learns that there are some things that should be left alone.
Found footage, especially in anthology formats, lends filmmakers a chance to explore. Us fans of the subgenre can accept faults in many aspects because it’s, overall, the most budget-friendly way to make a film. Unfortunately, found footage has been having some difficulty with stepping out of the norm recently. You Were Never Alone not only tells a fascinating story, something that found footage also struggles with, but it tells a story so stylistically different that it shouldn’t work. Somehow it works too well.
The Pontypool Of Found Footage
There will only ever be one Pontypool. Sorry to break that news. The way Tony Burgess makes a single location utterly terrifying could be its own college course. You Were Never Alone takes Final Transmissions to a whole new level. Michael J. Epstein’s story is not only fascinating and well-written, but it is a stunning single location, static shot episode. Unless I’m misremembering, the viewer is locked into a single angle the entire episode. Seriously…how does it work so well!
When you think of co-directors, you probably think of something that’s grander in scale. Knowing that this episode is directed by TWO people is shocking. One person making something that is this reserved is tough. Two people making something like this? Astounding. You Were Never Alone slowly creeps its way into your soul; existential dread has nothing on this episode. Moreover, this episode expertly ties into the overall story of Richard Slate’s questioning of whether or not technology can harness supernatural powers of sorts. You Were Never Alone may go down as the most impactful film (episode) I’ve seen in 2026.
Bethel Hill (S1E3)
Written/directed/edited Alex Hera
Vivienne (Cassidy Terracciano) finds herself stuck in a Jesus-like cult, set deep in the woods. Along with Silas (Andrew Dobbie), Vivienne attempts to locate a anomaly they have recently seen. But that anomaly may be something more than anyone could think. Can Bethel Hill survive this onslaught of terror?
If Ethel Cain made a horror film, it would probably be Bethel Hill. It’s Ptolemaea incarnate. While the previous two episodes of Final Transmissions have a healthy dose of film grain, Bethel Hill feels truly gritty. There’s a deep reflection on religion and the human experience that someone smarter than me could flesh out better. Bethel Hill intersects on conversations of drug abuse (a mysterious blue powder), religion, sex, and death. At points it does feel like Alex Hera slightly bites off a bit more than they can chew, but the overall experience of Bethel Hill is transcending.
A New Kind Of Horror
Alex Hera tackles a very niche subgenre of horror only really touched upon by Supernatural. I won’t go into too much detail because Bethel Hill is a truly unique experience. But there’s a creature used as the episode’s conduit for horror that I haven’t [ever] really seen utilized in horror. And when it has been utilized, it wasn’t super scary. Bethel Hill offers a truly horrifying gut punch of terror that expands upon the unique world built within the first two episodes.
There’s a moment in Bethel Hill that gave me goosebumps in a way no film (or episode) has in a very long time. Those who have seen the episode will know what I’m talking about (when it starts to run next to Vivienne!). Typically, the middle parts of an anthology are reserved for the lesser of the segments/episodes. Bethel Hill breaks that issue of anthology series low points in an ungodly way. Even if there are some moments that feel a bit too talky, Bethel Hill is a tour de force of horror.
What’s To Come For Final Transmissions?
Final Transmissions has already proven itself to be an industry shakeup. And it brings us back to my first point regarding V/H/S. None of this is to pit anyone against anyone. But as a huge fan of anthologies and found footage, I couldn’t help but feel hurt at how those behind V/H/S gave up on cohesion. Final Transmissions makes me feel hopeful. And scared. But particularly hopeful.
The Horror Hippies have brought together a group of respectable, hungry, ambitious filmmakers who have proven themselves to be genre powerhouses. Alex Hera’s episode was a perfect exclamation point to the first three episodes. To say I’m drooling at the opportunity to see the next three episodes is an understatement. Final Transmissions is a groundbreaking anthology series that has dug its tendrils deep into my soul. And it will to yours, too. Until the next three episodes, I’ll see you in the static.
It’s very interesting when critics cover Part # of a franchise without having seen the previous entries. I’ve personally seen critics who flat-out say that Part 2 or 3 doesn’t make sense without having seen the previous film. And therein lies the problem: film critics who refuse to admit they haven’t seen EVERYTHING. But does the hard work rely solely on the film critic (or the general viewer)? Should a sequel (or third in a trilogy) drop in heavy context clues for someone who is just now tuning in? I think the answer falls somewhere between those points. Of the many reasons, that is one of the main reasons I was able to enjoy The Barn Part III so much. Let’s dig into it.
Some time ago, Pastor Josh Harper (Courtney Gains) assumed he had rid the world of evil. He was dead wrong. Well, hopefully just wrong. His nephew Kyle (Tristan Olsen) and friend Megan (Amanda Byrne) accidentally re-unleash the evil; Josh must attempt to vanquish it. Again. There’s just one big problem…the Fall Festival is going on, and damn near the entire town will be in attendance. What can go wrong?
Can You Review PT. 3 Without Seeing PTS. 1&2?
Before we really get into it, I think we should jump back to the point I was making in the intro. I have seen tons of posts, screenshots, and scenes from The Barn franchise over the years. For some reason, I’ve never gotten around to seeing the films. So there was a sort of internal struggle when deciding whether or not to cover The Barn Part III. Would I watch it just for fun? What if I didn’t like it? Sure, I could review the film on its own merits, disregarding moments that don’t make sense to a first-time viewer. But that felt disingenuous. After writing a weighty pros and cons list, I figured, what the hell. Let’s give it a watch! It turns out that was the right decision.
Co-writers Justin M. Seamen and Zane Hershberger do an excellent job of balancing fan service and, surprisingly, first-time viewers. There are definitely moments where I felt a bit lost, though I was able to put the pieces together based on context clues after sitting with the film for a few hours. By the time the credits rolled, I felt like I saw enough (as a first time viewing of the franchise) to understand how we got to this point in the franchise. Moreover, it made me more motivated than ever to go back and watch the first two films. If The Barn Part III is this gory, then I can only assume there’s a similar level of gore to the first two.
Strong Script, Stronger Kills
Hershberger and Seamen tell a tale that’s not overwhelmingly original; evil is raised and must be stopped by the good people. It’s a race against the clock, fast-paced creature feature/slasher. It’s hard to really reinvent the wheel there. And somehow, Herhshberger and Seamen manage to make you feel like you haven’t really seen anything like it before. Even during moments of slightly cheesy dialogue, the script’s tone stays beyond consistent that it just all feels right. To me, that feels very rare in this subgenre of film. Rather than being nothing but conduits for buckets of blood, the characters in The Barn Part III exist within their story purpose while still feeling fully fleshed out.
Much of The Barn Part III’s enjoyment comes from the delightful performances of the film’s lead cast. Courtney Gains takes the reins from Will Stout as Josh Harper, and Gains is wonderfully charming. Much of his screen time is shared with Night of the Comet’s Kelli Maroney, who is still an absolute blast to watch on the screen. But it’s one of The Barn Part III’s co-leads, Amanda Byrne, who steals the show. It’s hard to believe this film is Byrne’s debut feature acting role. She really gives it her all, and you can feel it through the screen.
The Barn Part III Is a Practical Effect Gorefest
Enough edging. Let’s get into the actual meat and potatoes of The Barn Part III: the kills. Simply put, Justin M. Seamen and Zane Hershberger struck gold. I’ve seen way too many slasher films/creature features, so this isn’t hyperbolic…The Barn Part III has some of the most insane, captivating, and bloody kills I’ve seen. Especially for an indie film. Whatever the budget was, the film looks like it was more expensive than that.
I have a feeling that there is a heavy crossover between fans of this franchise and Joe Bob Briggs, so let me put it to you this way. The Barn Part III has it all: bisections, dissections, full-body degloving, mini killer pumpkins, pitchfork-fu, shotgun-fu, vine-fu…and that’s just scratching the surface. Besides transporting me to a time and place that I hold dear to my heart, the late 90s and early aughts, this film just checked every single box for me. I can only hope the first two do the same.
The Barn Part III is a violent, practical effects-filled rollercoaster that doesn’t let off the brakes from the jump. To me, this feels like the proper send-off to a franchise I’m new to, and it’s giving me severe FOMO. Full of insane kills and a charming main cast, The Barn Part III is neck and neck for best of the fest for me. Do yourself a favor, gas up your tractor and get to The Barn as soon as possible.
