No Way Out

Play trailer

No Way Out

R

1987

1h 53m

Mystery & Thriller

Action

Play Trailer

Watchlist

Watchlist

Tomatometer

Popcornmeter

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.

Watch on Fandango at Home

Buy Now

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.

Read Critics Reviews

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

Full Review

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

Full Review

Eddie Harrison

film-authority.com

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

Rated: 4/5

Apr 25, 2021

Full Review

Read all reviews

ed m

Really good thriller. Great acting.

Rated 3 out of 5 stars

12/12/24

Full Review

Gerald H

I have no idea why this movie gets a high rating. While Hackman is great as ever, Costner‘s and Young‘s acting is pale and without chemistry. Golden Raspberry for Young‘s hairdo as well as the catastrophic 80ies soundtrack.

Rated 1.5 out of 5 stars

10/31/24

Full Review

Matt F

Another favorite with a great cast and plot twist ending.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

09/28/24

Full Review

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

Full Review

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 3.5 out of 5 stars

11/02/24

Full Review

Read all reviews

Read More

Read Less

POST RATING

WRITE A REVIEW

EDIT REVIEW

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

Show Less Cast & Crew

Show More Cast & Crew

No Way Out: Official Clip - The Inaugural Ball

1:53

No Way Out: Official Clip - National Security

3:08

No Way Out: Official Clip - Sam's Confession

1:27

No Way Out: Official Clip - Secret Affair

1:32

No Way Out: Official Clip - The Job

2:41

No Way Out: Official Clip - Men of Power

3:00

No Way Out: Official Clip - I'm the One in the Picture

1:40

No Way Out: Official Clip - A Hero of the Soviet Union

1:49

No Way Out: Official Clip - The Magnitude of the Scandal

1:57

No Way Out: Official Clip - Tell Me Who It Is!

2:08

View more videos

F/X

89%

54%

F/X

Watchlist

Lethal Weapon

80%

86%

Lethal Weapon

Watchlist

Striking Distance

20%

35%

Striking Distance

Watchlist

The Dead Pool

53%

44%

The Dead Pool

Watchlist

Die Hard

94%

94%

Die Hard

Watchlist

TRAILER

for Die Hard

Discover more movies and TV shows.

View More

Bridget Jones’s Baby, Dear White People Season 1, and More on Certified Fresh Choices on Netflix and Amazon Prime This Week

Kevin Costner’s 10 Best Movies

Trailer Bulletin: Eric Bana & Drew Barrymore in "Lucky You"

View more photos

Synopsis

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.

Director: Roger Donaldson
Producer: Laura Ziskin, Robert Garland
Screenwriter: Robert Garland
Production Co: Orion Pictures
Rating: R
Genre: Mystery & Thriller, Action
Original Language: English
Release Date (Streaming): Mar 5, 2011
Box Office (Gross USA): $31.7M
Runtime: 1h 53m
Sound Mix: Surround

Most Popular at Home Now