Get the MovieNight app
Add it to your home screen — faster & full screen
Get the MovieNight app
Add it to your home screen — faster & full screen
Orion Pictures
Not part of a collection.
Is it a crime of passion, or an act of treason?
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.
Wuchak
May 23, 2018 · via TMDB
Life in DC and The Pentagon during the mid-80s RELEASED IN 1987 and directed by Roger Donaldson, "No Way Out” is a political drama/thriller starring Keven Costner as a Lieutenant Commander in the Navy who falls in love with a woman of dubious morality (Sean Young) and is thrust into a cover-up/witch hunt after a tragedy. Gene Hackman plays his “boss” at the Pentagon, the Secretary of Defense, while Will Patton appears as the Secretary’s loyal and diligent assistant. This remake of 1948's “The Big Clock" makes great use of Washington DC & surrounding area (e.g. Arlington) with sweet opening and closing aerial views. The Pentagon is a focal point with much of the drama taking place in that iconic building. There’s a worthy surprise in the plot so pay attention. Roger Ebert overrated this movie in 1987, giving it a perfect rating. The first half is a great setup, but the second half is merely okay and sometimes comes off as a TV production, verging on amateurish (you’ll see what I mean). The photo that the computer slowly materializes is a particularly quaint element; and the distinctly 80’s score doesn’t help. Still, there’s enough good here to make “No Way Out” worth checking out if it sounds appealing to you. Although Hackman is almost wasted in a role where he is relegated to sitting around looking concerned, Patton’s passionate work makes up for it; Costner and Young too. THE MOVIE RUNS 1 hour, 54 minutes and was shot in DC, Virginia (Arlington & Alexandria), Maryland (Annapolis) and the Toronto airport. WRITERS: Kenneth Fearing (novel) and Robert Garland (screenplay). GRADE: B-/C+
John Chard
Sep 25, 2014 · via TMDB
Counting down the hours for some self investigation. No Way Out is directed by Roger Donaldson and adapted to screenplay by Robert Garland from the novel "The Big Clock" written by Kenneth Fearing. It stars Kevin Costner, Gene Hackman, Sean Young, Will Patton, George Dzundza and Howard Duff. Music is by Maurice Jarre and cinematography by John Alcott. Already filmed impressively as The Big Clock in 1948, Fearing's ingenious source material gets a shift to a Pentagon backdrop and still comes out a winner. Putting their own spin on the central story, that of a man finding he is investigating "himself" during a murder enquiry, the makers unfurl a labyrinthine plot that keeps up the suspense quota right to the very end. In true noir style, the story is crammed with double bluffs, deceit, sex and death, with the added ingredient of politico intrigue to spice things still further. Cast are led superbly by Costner and Hackman, though Young is a bit too dull an actress to really put fire into the key femme role, and Alcott makes great use of the real Washington locations to bring visual authenticity to the story's setting. Jarre's score is hokey sounding and doesn't sit right with the dramatics on show, while the big reveal at the finale is still as divisive today as it was back on the film's release, but this is still a fine example of a film noir remake that really works for the neo-noir loving crowd. 8/10
User reviews courtesy of TMDB.
Amazon Video
Apple TV Store
Google Play Movies
YouTube
Fandango At Home
Amazon Prime Video
Criterion Channel
Amazon Prime Video with Ads
Amazon Video
Apple TV Store
Google Play Movies
YouTube
Fandango At Home
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
George Dzundza
Sam Hesselman
Jason Bernard
Major Donovan
Iman
Nina Beka
Fred Thompson
CIA Director Marshall
Leon Russom
Kevin O'Brien
Dennis Burkley
Boat Renter
Marshall Bell
Assassin
Chris D.
Assassin
Michael Shillo
Schiller
Nicholas Worth
Cup Breaker
Leo Geter
Ensign Fox
Matthew Barry
Bellboy
John D'Aquino
Lt. John Chadway
Gregory Avellone
Technician
David Paymer
Technician
Charles Walker
Technician
Pablo Ferro
Title Designer
John Alcott
Director of Photography
Donna Evans
Stunts
Michael Adams
Stunts
Steve Kelso
Stunts
Roger Donaldson
Director
William Hoy
Editor
Ilene Starger
Casting
Laura Ziskin
Producer
Maurice Jarre
Original Music Composer
Lekce
Exploded Hell
Zero: A Spy Story
Forrest Gump
October Rhapsody
The Departed
The Lives of Others
The Secret in Their Eyes
Country Gold
Detrás de la mentira
The Man I Left Behind
North by Northwest
Heat
Soulmate
Ben-Hur
Downfall
Fail Safe
Drushyam
The Twelve Jurors
Mr. Smith Goes to Washington
Scent of a Woman
The Exorcist
Notorious
Mississippi Burning
Twelve Monkeys
Elevator to the Gallows
Main Street Eagle
Bowling for Columbine
Head-On
Viktor und Viktoria
The Fugitive
Ocean's Eleven
Man on Fire
Pandora's Box
The Man Who Knew Too Much
Sweet 20
The Lady Vanishes
Secret: A Hidden Score
The Hunt for Red October
Minority Report
The Abyss
Seven Days in May
Blow-Up
Lust, Caution
Billy Budd
Brothers
Last Holiday
Cape Fear
The Big Clock
The Invite
The Talented Mr. Ripley
The Sand Pebbles
Tora! Tora! Tora!
Youngblood
The Thirteenth Floor
A Tale of Two Sisters
Two Men in Town
Flywheel
The Silent Partner
House of the Disappeared
The Rose of Versailles
Soldier of Orange
Enemy of the State
Top Gun
Arlington Road
Mission: Impossible
Sitaare Zameen Par
Lemon Tree
Spy Game
Wag the Dog
Antwone Fisher
Don
City of Angels
Nixon
In the Valley of Elah
The Ipcress File
Bhool Bhulaiyaa
Sleeping Car to Trieste
Munafik: Melawan Iblis
The Thomas Crown Affair
Memoirs of a Murderer
Confessions of a Dangerous Mind
Burn After Reading
Patriot Games
Hairspray
Absolute Power
Live Free or Die Hard
A Girl Called Rosemarie
On Her Majesty's Secret Service
The Last Dragon
The Postman Always Rings Twice
The Last House on the Left
G.I. Jane
The Hills Have Eyes
Jolt
Gone in Sixty Seconds
Air Force One
Mary Shelley's Frankenstein
Over Your Dead Body
Shall We Dance?
Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam
The Recruit
Ripley's Game
Connected
One Second Ahead, One Second Behind
Cloaca
The Invisible
The Assignment
The Taking of Pelham 1 2 3
The 39 Steps
Master Spy
Cheaper by the Dozen
Sleuth
Graveyard of Honor
Free Country
The Eyes
Sukiyaki Western Django
The Vanishing
Carrie
The Eiger Sanction
The Ladykillers
Willard
Deva
Girls in Uniform
The Sentinel
13 Rue Madeleine
Berlin
Jumpin' Jack Flash
The Invasion
Wasp Network
Miami Vice
Shaft
Transit Carlsbad
Head Above Water
Loggerheads
Poseidon
The Jazz Singer
An American Affair
Friday the 13th
Quarantine
The Stepfather
Ben-Hur
Streetwalker
Drop Zone
The Strangers: Chapter 1
Reckless
Airport '77
The Initiation of Sarah
Shutter
A Nightmare on Elm Street
Vixen!
Dirty Dancing
Berlin is in Germany
Little Moscow
The Lost
The Blue Angel
Murder
The Defiant Ones
Pulse
Down
WarGames: The Dead Code
Black Eagle
Café Brawl (Remake)
Kiss Me Deadly
Negresco
The Truth About Charlie
Dhenikaina Ready
Sundhara Travels
The Wicker Man
Stolen Kisses
Thugs
Kiko's Saints
War Baby
The Nail
Billion Dollar Spy
Amare Affondo
The Linguist
The Longest Yard
Klassi Ghalina: Mission to Moscow
Taxi Driver
Gone Girl
Fail Safe
Mississippi Burning
Eyes Wide Shut
13 Hours: The Secret Soldiers of Benghazi
Citizen X
Shooter
Enemy of the State
Arlington Road
In the Line of Fire
Basic Instinct
Mr. Brooks
Hunter Killer
Tom Clancy's Without Remorse
The Parallax View
In the Valley of Elah
Kill the Irishman
The Contender
The Devil's Double
Absolute Power
Farewell, My Lovely
Boston Strangler
Angel Has Fallen
The Last Run
Storm Warning
Querelle
Cruising
Kiss the Girls
Red Sparrow
8MM
Imperium
Edge of Darkness
Salt
The Assignment
The Infernal Machine
Child 44
Chief of Station
Death Wish
American Gigolo
Jack Ryan: Shadow Recruit
A Good Woman Is Hard to Find
Murder at 1600
Mulholland Falls
Malone
The Kremlin Letter
Dear Mr. Gacy
An American Affair
Blue Steel
Aug 14, 1987
© 2025-2026 MovieNight. All rights reserved.
Versus
Sign in to play →
Till Death Do Us Part
John Cena: Champion of the Ring
2020
Sign in to vote
Battle your watched movies head-to-head
Community Top Movies
Evil Dead II
1987 · 14 wins
The Dark Knight
2008 · 14 wins
Final Destination
2000 · 12 wins
Top Gun: Maverick
2022 · 11 wins
Joker
2019 · 11 wins
Trivia
Leaderboard →Playing as a guest — sign in to save your score and rank on the leaderboard.
Movie Trivia
Guess the movie from a clue — tagline, plot, cast and more. Pick from four posters.
What movie experience do you prefer?
What is your favorite movie genre?
Versus
Sign in to play →
Till Death Do Us Part
John Cena: Champion of the Ring
2020
Sign in to vote
Battle your watched movies head-to-head
Community Top Movies
Evil Dead II
1987 · 14 wins
The Dark Knight
2008 · 14 wins
Final Destination
2000 · 12 wins
Top Gun: Maverick
2022 · 11 wins
Joker
2019 · 11 wins
Trivia
Leaderboard →Playing as a guest — sign in to save your score and rank on the leaderboard.
Movie Trivia
Guess the movie from a clue — tagline, plot, cast and more. Pick from four posters.
What movie experience do you prefer?
What is your favorite movie genre?
We use essential cookies to run MovieNight, plus analytics (Google Analytics) and advertising (Google AdSense) cookies. By continuing to browse, you agree to this — or click No and we won't. See our Terms & Privacy Policy to learn more.