Rotten
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.
Gene Siskel, Chicago Tribune
No Way Out
Is it a crime of passion, or an act of treason?
1987 · 1h 54m · R
Drama, Thriller
Directed by
Roger Donaldson
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No Way Out
Overview
Navy Lt. Tom Farrell meets a young woman, Susan Atwell, and they share a passionate fling. Farrell then finds out that his superior, Defense Secretary David Brice, 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 and cast
- Roger Donaldson Director
- Kevin Costner as Lt. Cmdr. Tom Farrell
- Gene Hackman as Defense Secretary David Brice
- Sean Young as Susan Atwell
- Will Patton as Scott Pritchard
- Howard Duff as Senator William 'Billy' Duvall
- George Dzundza as Sam Hesselman
- Jason Bernard as Major Donovan
- Iman as Nina Beka
- Fred Thompson as CIA Director Marshall
- Leon Russom as Kevin O'Brien
Critics on Rotten Tomatoes
Top critics, in their words
92%
Tomatometer
Fresh
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.
Dave Kehr, Chicago Tribune
Fresh
No Way Out's greatest prize is Costner, a leading man at last: fiercely good, intelligent, appreciatively sensual in a performance balanced perfectly between action and introspection.
Sheila Benson, Los Angeles Times
Fresh
A thriller that grabs you even before the ironies of its plot kick in is a thriller you don't want to miss. No Way Out is that sort of movie, a thriller that's thrilling throughout.
Jay Boyar, Orlando Sentinel
Fresh
A juicy thriller-romance bursting out of the Pentagon's arid corridors.
Carrie Rickey, Philadelphia Inquirer
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