No Way Out (1987) Reviews

• A high-tech murder and cover-up thriller

  NewEnglandPat2005-07-17

  This film is a taut thriller and has a very good pairing of Kevin Costner and Gene Hackman in a story of a cover-up and murder. Sean Young is the tragic figure who falls for Costner and sets in motion the wheels that make this picture one of the best of its type. Plot twists and suspense are highlighted by great acting, and as the cover-up unravels, Costner finds himself in increasing danger in the halls of the Pentagon. Will Patton and George Dzunda are solid in support of the leads although Patton is a bit over the top as Hackman's attack dog. This fine film is marred by an ending that doesn't connect with the film's plot or pulse and gives the picture an awkward, unsatisfying conclusion. Costner is the hero but it is Hackman who makes this picture as good as it is.

• Definitely underrated first-class thriller

  Zekarius2007-03-21

  There are only a fistful movies I gave 9 points. This is one them. After watching it I immediately had an itch to watch a sequel (regrettably impossible due to the story line). Didn't actually want it to stop and was sad that it ended. (True for just a few other movies, like for example Dr. Zhivago or 12 Monkeys) When I checked the IMDb - rating composition to find out why this movie is so grotesquely underrated, I asserted that the IMDb Staff gave 8 points, anyway. (Phew!) One of the very few US-thrillers, the end of which I wasn't able to predict. Gene Hackman and Kevin Costner are habitually brilliant, Will Patton deserves an Oscar as the best supporting actor in my book.

• A brilliant cold war thriller that is as rivetting today as it was when it was made in 1987.

  matahar1999-02-28

  "No Way Out" is one of the most original, suspenseful, tightly-knit thrillers ever made, comparable to John Frankenheimer's "Seven Days in May". Set in the Cold War era, Gene Hackman plays the Secretary of Defense, a married man obsessed with his mistress, the exquisitely beautiful Sean Young...as is her other secret lover, Costner, a Naval Admiral who is the C.I.A.'s Liaison. When Hackman accidentally kills Young in a jealous rage, a cover-up begins to find the notorious, never-seen Russian mole "Yuri" who works within the Pentagon, and to frame him for the murder. Costner is commanded to oversee the operation, and the action begins...and is sustained with the intensity of a race on the Autobahn. The amazing all-star cast also features Will Patton, George Dzunda, Iman and David Paymer. Costner delivers what is perhaps his most subtle performance. What distinguishes "No Way Out" is its brilliant plotting, tautness, and constant surprises...with the ending being the most deliriously mind-blowing surprise of all.

• Clever thriller with excellent performances...

  Doylenf2003-12-21

  Kevin Costner stars in this stylish remake of THE BIG CLOCK, a 1948 film noir that starred Ray Milland and Charles Laughton. The setting has been changed from a publishing house to the Pentagon and the time period updated. Some extra plot twists have been added and it all adds up to riveting entertainment after a slow start. Costner romances Sean Young after a brief flirtation and then discovers she is the mistress of the U.S. Secretary of Defense (Gene Hackman). In a fit of jealousy, Hackman accidentally kills Young and then must concoct a plot to keep his identity as her lover a secret. He assigns Costner to lead the investigation and this leads to a suspenseful turn of events that has Costner caught in a net from which he has a hard time escaping. A series of suspenseful chases take place with some excellent camerawork following the chase by car and on foot. Only weakness here is the rather contrived ending which seems to have been added on for a final twist that is never quite convincing. Kevin Costner, looking spiffy in his smart Navy white uniform, does an excellent job as a desperate man realizing he must keep his own affair with the victim a secret. Gene Hackman is excellent too but it is Will Patton as his loyal henchman and protector who gives the film's most penetrating performance, especially when his diabolical nature is revealed. The first twenty-five minutes are much too slow in getting the story off the ground but once it does you'll want to stay tuned until the final denouement. One of the best thrillers produced in the '80s.

• Cold War Spy Thriller

  CheshireCatsGrin2007-05-05

  I remember being in the theater with my friend, and she turned to me and said about Costner "He is just so good in this film" and I replied "He will be somebody someday." This was that kind of film. You felt the performances in your bones. The film had that type of chemistry between all the major players. The plot would just seem like it was going to lag and then you get twisted around again. Three years later I went out and bought the script with a month's worth of money from my first job. I still have that script on my bookshelf. I also have had a copy of this film in my collection for the last 10 years. Sean Young was still at her peak and the limousine scene is unforgettable. It is also proof that you can add sex in a movie without making the audience think they will be taking time away from the theme and plot of the movie. Will Patton of Remember the Titans was also starting his movie career and played his character of a "protect the Director at any cost" to a "T". Gene Hackman was Brice in this movie. George Dzundza as the loyal friend, Iman as the South African caught in the middle of her friend's indiscretion and Chris D. as one of the "Contras" helped round out the supporting cast. Roger Donaldson's direction really helped you feel the tense pace and the closed in feelings in the Pentagon. I gave this film a 9 because it may be seen as outdated due to some cold war references.