No Way Out

1987

1h 53m

Mystery & Thriller

Action

List

92%

Tomatometer

48 Reviews

72%

Popcornmeter

10,000+ Ratings

Navy Lt. Tom Farrell (Kevin Costner) meets a young woman, Susan Atwell (Sean Young), and they share a passionate fling. Farrell then finds out that his superior, Defense Secretary David Brice (Gene Hackman), is also romantically involved with Atwell. When the young woman turns up dead, Farrell is put in charge of the murder investigation. He begins to uncover shocking clues about the case, but when details of his encounter with Susan surface, he becomes a suspect as well.

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Critics Consensus

Roger Donaldson's modern spin on the dense, stylish suspense films of the 1940s features fine work from Gene Hackman and Sean Young, as well as the career-making performance that made Kevin Costner a star.

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Gene Siskel

Chicago Tribune

While the film's behind-the-scenes look into the world of Washington bureaucracy is appealing, the movie is a complete letdown as a thriller, dissolving into implausible silliness.

Jul 29, 2013

Full Review

Dave Kehr

Chicago Tribune

No Way Out emerges, paradoxically, as a film that is better than it has to be and not as good as it ought to be, but there is skill here, as well as an admirable willingness to try something new.

Rated: 3/4

Jul 29, 2013

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Empire Magazine

Good performances from a strong cast and paranoid plotting enough to keep even the staunchest of remake nay-sayers quiet. Hitchockian production with a modern twist.

Rated: 5/5

Jul 29, 2013

Full Review

Savina Petkova

A Good Movie To Watch

No Way Back is a symbol of this transitional period, but by retaining the classic noir vibe (deception, fleeing, yearning), it becomes a tribute to the past.

Rated: 78/100

Nov 24, 2023

Full Review

Molly Haskell

Video Review

This stunning thriller about a murder and an elaborate cover-up in present-day Washington power circles was one of the best movies of 1987 and, to my mind, an all-time classic.

Rated: 4/4

Aug 5, 2022

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Eddie Harrison

film-authority.com

'...a model of what a good, hard, modern thriller can be...'

Rated: 4/5

Apr 25, 2021

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James M

Don’t let anybody tell you otherwise this is a solid well-made movie that will keep you intrigued throughout. You can’t go wrong with the likes of Gene Hackman and Kevin Costner in a starring role. Yes it’s got some 80s type editing but overall this is a very well-made movie not boring at all -you can pretty much believe that anything involving Hackman is going to be halfway decent. This is better than halfway decent

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

08/17/24

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Ian B

This was recommended to me to watch as a classic great film from the past and a must watch. My partner and I certainly thought the exact opposite. Extremely weak acting and very poor even by the standards of the time. How critics think this is a good film is beyond us.

Rated 1 out of 5 stars

08/14/24

Full Review

Rob A

It's been a while since I've seen it, but at the end of the day I remember I liked it and would watch it again. Exciting and suspenseful with an excellent cast featuring a young Kevin Costner.

Rated 3 out of 5 stars

09/12/24

Full Review

nick s

Great acting, particularly Hackman, Costner and Young. Unfortunately the story was overwrought and improbable, substituting realism for action and sensation. The characters actions often made no sense. The antagonist had to fall on his sword in the end because the director couldn't find a way out of the plot. Had the bad guy just shot the hero, as his character would do, all of his problems would be solved. But no, he does something completely irrational. The movie stumbles on past the logical end for one last surprise that feels like a flailing afterthought. I think it would be better deleted.

Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars

07/29/24

Full Review

Darren J

I can’t get over how poor this is and how on earth it scored so highly on here over all these years! So lame, even by eighties standards.

Rated 1 out of 5 stars

07/08/24

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Bernard D

Caught this the other night. Not sure how I hadn't heard of it previously. Hackman and Costner, what else is there to say?

Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars

06/30/24

Full Review

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Roger Donaldson

Director

Kevin Costner

Lt. Cmdr. Tom Farrell

Gene Hackman

Defense Secretary David Brice

Sean Young

Susan Atwell

Will Patton

Scott Pritchard

Howard Duff

Senator William "Billy" Duvall

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No Way Out: Official Clip - The Inaugural Ball