Overview
A naval officer's life spirals into chaos as he becomes embroiled in a deadly conspiracy.
Ember's analysis
- Pacing
- Brisk
- Intensity
- Strong
- Complexity
- Layered
- Violence
- Mild
- tense
- paranoid
- suspenseful
- late night thriller viewing
- 1980s movie marathon
What critics said
Critics broadly praised the film as a stylish, intelligent, highly suspenseful modernization of classic 1940s mystery thrillers, despite reservations about its elaborate twist.
What sets it apart
May contain story progression spoilers
Tom Farrell works inside the Pentagon while becoming vulnerable to the same counterintelligence apparatus he is expected to serve.
The Polaroid negative found at Susan Atwell's home becomes the central object in the hunt for the killer and the mole.
The Pentagon's offices, command structures, and surveillance systems provide the film's primary maze-like environment.
The film relocates novel-derived suspense into 1980s Washington and frames homicide through KGB-mole fears and defense politics.
Films like No Way Out, and why
The Parallax View
Shared political conspiracy, institutional power, escalating investigation, and dense suspense plotting.
Three Days of the Condor
Shared Washington power structures, espionage paranoia, morally compromised officials, and investigative thriller tension.
The Big Clock
Shared noir-inflected mystery, photographic evidence, professional investigation, and a protagonist trapped by a powerful institution.
Enemy of the State
Shared political intrigue, cover-up dynamics, and suspense built around a rapidly narrowing time frame.
Movie Details
- Director
- Roger Donaldson
- Release Date
- 1987-08-14
- Runtime
- 114 min
- Rating
- 6.9 / 10 (855)
Cast
- Kevin Costner
- Gene Hackman
- Sean Young
- Will Patton
- Howard Duff
- George Dzundza
- Jason Bernard
- Iman
- Fred Thompson
- Leon Russom
Where to watch in United States
- Streaming
- Amazon Prime Video, Amazon Prime Video with Ads
- Rent
- Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home
- Buy
- Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home
Streaming options come from TMDB and change over time.
Common questions
- What is No Way Out about?
- A Navy officer investigating a murder inside the Pentagon must outrun a political conspiracy that turns his secret affair into incriminating evidence.
- What is No Way Out like to watch?
- Ember's analysis rates the pacing of No Way Out as brisk, its intensity as strong and its storytelling as layered.
- Is No Way Out violent?
- Only mildly. Ember rates the violence in No Way Out as mild.
- What did critics think of No Way Out?
- Critics broadly praised the film as a stylish, intelligent, highly suspenseful modernization of classic 1940s mystery thrillers, despite reservations about its elaborate twist.
- Which films are like No Way Out?
- Films with a similar feel include The Parallax View, Three Days of the Condor, The Big Clock, and Enemy of the State.
- How long is No Way Out?
- No Way Out runs 114 minutes.
- Where can I watch No Way Out?
- In United States, No Way Out streams on Amazon Prime Video, Amazon Prime Video with Ads.
