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No Way Out poster

No Way Out

year 1987decade 80sdirector Roger Donaldson

114 minutes

Cast

Selected cast credits ·

Kevin Costner Tom Farrell
Gene Hackman David Brice
Sean Young Susan Atwell
Will Patton Scott Pritchard
Howard Duff Senator Duvall
George Dzundza Sam Hesselman
Jason Bernard Major Donovan
Iman Nina Beka

No Way Out | The Rewatchables

host Bill Simmonshost Chris Ryanhost Sean Fennessey
Explore episodeClose episode

Producer credits not yet identified.

What’s Aged the Best?

The twist; photograph countdown; chemistry; political rivalry; score; getaway; collaborators; Scott

In the discussion (13)
Approx. transcript time · 00:16:59Read transcript
  • A powerful man maintaining a mistress in a Virginia townhouse is praised as an effective movie premise, with joking disagreement about calling it aged best.
  • Opening on an intense interrogation before jumping six months backward works here, despite objections that television has overused the device.
  • The landlord’s revelation as Tom’s handler supplies a second twist.
  • The gradually resolving photograph serves as an effective countdown.
  • Costner and Young’s chemistry remains exceptionally strong.
  • The destructive rivalry between Congress and the executive branch still resonates.
  • Fred Dalton Thompson remains convincing as a military-industrial figure.
  • The ominous Washington synthesizer score works well.
  • Paying extra for an otherwise unavailable boat enables the Chesapeake getaway.
  • Costner’s loyalty to collaborators carries supporting performers into later films.
  • Scott’s patronizing demands for moral courage and calm remain entertaining.
  • The old-college-friends connection between Tom and Scott is memorable.
  • The henchmen’s awkward pursuit is funny enough to count as both a strength and a weakness.

The Stephen A. Smith Hottest Take Award

Best twist of the 1980s–1990s; Russian spies are missed; Susan’s death timing; Patton as Joker

In the discussion (6)
Approx. transcript time · 00:27:02Read transcript
  • Young is a singular screen presence whose unrealized career possibilities exceed a routine short run of stardom.
  • Killing Susan forty-five minutes in is an effective surprise, although contemporary reviews often spoiled it.
  • Tom might have saved Susan by leaving through the front door and forcing a confrontation with Brice.
  • This is proposed as the best twist of the 1980s and 1990s, ahead of The Sixth Sense, with later identity-reversal thrillers owing it a debt.
  • Old-fashioned Russian spies are missed as clear, readily understood movie antagonists.
  • Will Patton is imagined as an excellent Joker.

Half-Assed Internet Research

Source adaptations; budget and gross; Leachman account; nude-scene and stunt anecdotes; locations

In the discussion (7)
Approx. transcript time · 00:32:05Read transcript
  • A quoted Leachman autobiography passage recounts a one-night encounter with Hackman while both were filming in San Francisco.
  • The story derives from Kenneth Fearing’s 1946 novel The Big Clock, previously adapted in 1948 and as Police Python 357 in 1976.
  • The stated budget is $15 million and the gross $35.5 million; cable and HBO expanded its audience.
  • Young’s account describes helping an uncomfortable Costner through their nude scene.
  • The limousine sequence is described as partly improvised.
  • Costner reportedly rolled over a moving car’s hood during a chase and was reprimanded.
  • Susan’s house is identified at Queen and Union Streets in Alexandria.

Most Rewatchable Scene

Bryce betrays Scott in the office; the final twenty minutes

In the discussion (14)
Approx. transcript time · 00:43:32Read transcript
  • The opening Washington party efficiently introduces Tom, Susan and Scott through flirtation and social maneuvering.
  • Tom’s Stoli order supplies a small clue, while Susan’s conspicuously long cigarette adds to their flirtation.
  • The limousine ride begins with Susan asking the driver to show them the monuments.
  • Susan commandeers Nina’s apartment and bed, offering her friend the limousine, fur coat and food.
  • Tom and Susan flirt while preparing for their second party.
  • The Manila strip-club sequence, including Wild Thing and a phone torn from the wall, is singled out enthusiastically.
  • Brice’s confrontation with Susan turns into her fatal fall.
  • Brice brings Scott the news that he has killed Susan, and Scott immediately constructs a plan.
  • Tom’s reaction to learning Susan is dead plays both as grief and, on rewatch, panic about his own exposure.
  • During the visit to Nina, Tom silently implores her not to reveal their connection, then prepares to use a vase against Scott.
  • The Washington car and running chase features impressive physical work from Costner.
  • The final pursuit, stairwell fight and confrontation in Brice’s office culminate in Brice betraying Scott.
  • The final revelation reframes Tom’s relationship with Susan as part of his assignment.
  • The office confrontation is the favored specific scene; another choice is the final twenty minutes, encompassing the Pentagon hunt and revelation.

Probably Unanswerable Questions

Scott’s relationships; Susan and Tom’s conversations; Susan’s work and car

In the discussion (4)
Approx. transcript time · 00:51:22Read transcript
  • Brice knows Susan has another lover but does not recognize Tom in the darkness outside her apartment.
  • Scott’s relationships with Tom and Brice invite speculation; Brice knowingly exploits Scott’s infatuation.
  • What Susan and Tom discuss when they are not having sex remains unclear.
  • Whether Brice bought Susan’s car and what she does for work remain speculative.

Picking Nits

Conspicuous behavior; death mechanics; Polaroid continuity; framing plan; extraction; news coverage

In the discussion (10)
Approx. transcript time · 00:51:52Read transcript
  • Tom gains little by lingering outside Susan’s apartment where Brice might see him.
  • Susan’s instant death from the short fall onto a coffee table seems doubtful.
  • Tom’s arm position in the Polaroid differs from the moment the picture is taken.
  • Scott invents the Yuri framing plan implausibly quickly.
  • Nina’s refusal to expose Tom is questioned, then defended as loyalty to Susan, perhaps supported by omitted scenes.
  • The Russians’ failure to extract Tom once Susan dies leaves his compromised position unexplained.
  • Tom leaves incriminating bodily evidence through careless sexual conduct.
  • Tom eating something from the windshield is considered strange; whether it is a bug or a berry is disputed.
  • Local news reporting a Pentagon spy hunt seems implausible, although the concentration of reporters offers a defense.
  • Brice’s silent, accommodating wife leaves his domestic life underdeveloped.

The most "year the movie came out" thing

Credit-card records taking days

In the discussion (2)
Approx. transcript time · 00:55:26Read transcript
  • Credit-card records taking days is the favored dated detail.
  • Other candidates are the Polaroid plot, absent street surveillance, slow phone-record searches, printers and early forensic testing; Russian agents are added.

What’s Aged the Worst?

Assassins; limo sex; spy conventions; underused Duff; audition allegation; detours; stereotypes; haircuts

In the discussion (10)
Approx. transcript time · 01:02:11Read transcript
  • The supposedly elite assassins run awkwardly and look insufficiently formidable.
  • The limousine sex scene has corny music and unclear positioning.
  • The long-term embedded Russian-spy model feels dated relative to modern technological espionage, although Russian spying itself remains active.
  • Howard Duff is underused in a role lasting roughly a scene and a half.
  • Young’s reported account of Donaldson requiring her to expose herself at an audition is condemned.
  • The extended overseas rescue and Manila detour seems excessive for its narrative purpose, despite a defense of establishing Tom’s hero status.
  • The phantom-submarine subplot receives too little explanation for its importance.
  • Costner listing Russian authors is proposed as a weakness, with an immediate objection.
  • Scott participates in an outdated stereotype of the hysterical queer villain, even though the performance remains entertaining.
  • The supposedly sexy film has awkward haircuts for Susan, Tom, Scott and party guests.

The Great Shot Gordo Award for Most Cinematic Shot

Pentagon checkerboard chase; nighttime focus shift; party triangulation

In the discussion (3)
Approx. transcript time · 01:03:14Read transcript
  • Costner running along the Pentagon’s checkerboard hallway is a striking image.
  • The nighttime focus shift between Hackman and Costner is effective.
  • Party photography triangulates Susan, Brice and Tom, then reveals Brice’s mounting anxiety.

The Butch’s Girlfriend Award for the Weakest Link in the Film

The assassins; Scott’s gym murder

In the discussion (2)
Approx. transcript time · 01:04:18Read transcript
  • The assassins seem too unimpressive for Scott’s operation; more physically imposing performers are imagined.
  • Scott shooting the wheelchair user in the Pentagon gym feels implausibly conspicuous; a staged accident or use of henchmen is suggested instead.

Casting What-Ifs

Pfeiffer; uncertain Gibson/Swayze reports; Newman/Peck; Scott alternatives

In the discussion (4)
Approx. transcript time · 01:21:04Read transcript

Apex Mountain

Washington film noir; pirate-uniformed bellboy witnesses

In the discussion (10)
Approx. transcript time · 01:27:46Read transcript
  • Costner is rejected; Young’s earlier Stripes/Blade Runner period is preferred.
  • Movie mistresses is proposed but left unresolved after considering several alternatives.
  • Hackman is rejected.
  • Washington film noir receives agreement.
  • Russian-submarine material loses to The Hunt for Red October.
  • Dzundza murders is proposed against Basic Instinct without a settled choice.
  • The Omni Shoreham Hotel is nominated.
  • Patton’s peak is assigned to Remember the Titans.
  • Polaroids are rejected in favor of Memento.
  • Pirate-uniformed bellboys serving as federal espionage witnesses receives enthusiastic agreement.

Sequel, Prequel, Limited Series, or All-Black Remake

Prestige TV; Yuri sequel; Susan or college-years prequels

In the discussion (3)
Approx. transcript time · 01:38:07Read transcript
  • A prestige television adaptation is considered promising.
  • A Yuri sequel could follow his American life after the Soviet collapse.
  • Susan: The Gumar Years and Scotty and Tommy’s college years are joking prequel ideas.

Just One Oscar

Screenplay, tentatively

In the discussion (1)
Approx. transcript time · 01:40:03Read transcript
  • Screenplay is the tentative choice, with agreement that this is not an obvious Oscar film.

Best Double Feature

No Way Out poster
No Way Out
Poster unavailable
Revenge
Poster unavailable
American Flyers
Poster unavailable
The Big Clock
Poster unavailable
Presumed Innocent
In the discussion (4)
Approx. transcript time · 01:42:10Read transcript
  • Revenge is suggested as a companion film.
  • American Flyers first, then No Way Out, would show Costner before and after stardom.
  • The Big Clock offers the earlier adaptation, although it is considered less good and less twisty.
  • Presumed Innocent supplies another sexy, star-driven mystery about power.

The Andy and Red – Zihuatanejo Award for What Happens the Next Day?

Bryce’s trial or political ruin; Tom stays in America

In the discussion (3)
Approx. transcript time · 01:43:03Read transcript
  • Joking continuations put Yuri in Lithuanian basketball or reveal him as Field of Dreams’ Ray Kinsella.
  • Brice could face a major murder trial or at least political ruin because Tom supplies incriminating evidence.
  • Tom is expected to remain in America rather than return to Russia.

Who Won the Movie?

Kevin Costner; additional choice: the twist, with Will Patton conditional on eligibility

In the discussion (2)
Approx. transcript time · 01:46:28Read transcript
  • Kevin Costner receives the main panel’s final agreement; Young is praised but rejected because she appears too briefly.
  • The additional first-time viewer chooses the twist if eligible, with Will Patton as the alternative if it is not.
Podcast choices
Speaker not identified
The twist

More from the conversation

No Way Out exemplifies the satisfying thriller that browsing streaming genre sections rarely finds.
Approx. transcript time · 00:03:14Read transcript
Its twist is placed alongside The Sixth Sense, Primal Fear and The Usual Suspects, without a formal ranking.
Approx. transcript time · 00:04:17Read transcript
A friend’s escalating texts about Costner, Young and the Russian revelation illustrate the first-viewing experience.
Approx. transcript time · 00:04:45Read transcript
Knowing the ending reveals clues such as ordering Stoli and becoming tense in Nina’s apartment, enhancing Costner’s subtle performance.
Approx. transcript time · 00:05:17Read transcript
The film layers espionage onto The Big Clock’s self-protective protagonist, making the falsely accused man guilty of a different secret.
Approx. transcript time · 00:06:06Read transcript
Its contained movie runtime handles the twist better than stretched-out prestige television.
Approx. transcript time · 00:06:33Read transcript
A daughter’s delayed recognition of the Yuri twist illustrates how the reveal lands.
Approx. transcript time · 00:06:58Read transcript
The opening interrogation and shoulder blood are easy to forget, allowing the ending to reframe the beginning.
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Sugar’s twist is criticized as an idea that might work in a short movie but arrives too late in a series.
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Dressed to Kill telegraphs its twist; Color of Night has an implausible one, while Basic Instinct avoids fully committing.
Approx. transcript time · 00:08:41Read transcript
Identity and Playing by Heart are recalled for connecting their characters through final revelations; Masquerade is praised as a modest noir.
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Washington establishing views and the surrounding suburbs, Chesapeake and Arlington give unusually rich local atmosphere.
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The chase and everyday places distinguish it from Washington films centered on presidents or the White House.
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The film is compared with1970s political thrillers, but characterized as lurid melodrama driven by plot rather than character.
Approx. transcript time · 00:12:03Read transcript
Desire drives the story more than the ideological paranoia of1970s thrillers; Cold War machinery also serves money and power.
Approx. transcript time · 00:12:42Read transcript
The late1980s political-thriller lull is contrasted with Dave, In the Line of Fire, The Pelican Brief and later West Wing-era views of Washington.
Approx. transcript time · 00:14:36Read transcript
Its eroticism and Navy-white imagery feel distinctly1980s, near the Gary Hart scandal’s change in public scrutiny.
Approx. transcript time · 00:15:18Read transcript
Mistresses housed separately create useful dramatic pressure; modern relationship arrangements would change that premise.
Approx. transcript time · 00:15:56Read transcript
Costner’s Untouchables, No Way Out and Bull Durham run within roughly ten months rapidly turned him into a major star.
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Austin Butler’s Elvis-to-Dune/Bikeriders/television trajectory is offered as a partial modern comparison.
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Russell Crowe offers a cross-genre comparison, but Costner’s romantic appeal is considered particularly distinctive.
Approx. transcript time · 00:19:51Read transcript
Historical comparisons combine Fonda, Lancaster, Stewart, Tracy and Redford rather than one obvious model.
Approx. transcript time · 00:20:45Read transcript
No Way Out and A Perfect World are valued for complicating Costner’s all-American image; more such films are wished for.
Approx. transcript time · 00:20:58Read transcript
Other directors often reveal a sexier, funnier, stranger Costner than his own stoic heroic roles.
Approx. transcript time · 00:21:33Read transcript
Costner’s chemistry with actresses makes the relationship with Young feel like a real couple, especially her playful mimicry.
Approx. transcript time · 00:22:39Read transcript
The discussion inventories prior Costner episodes and films still to cover, including Bull Durham and Tin Cup.
Approx. transcript time · 00:23:16Read transcript
American Flyers, Thirteen Days, A Perfect World and Tin Cup are discussed as possible episodes; Costner’s accents remain a weakness.
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Young’s early filmography includes Stripes, Blade Runner, Young Doctors in Love, Dune and Wall Street before No Way Out.
Approx. transcript time · 00:24:40Read transcript
Her subsequent career is discussed through alleged on-set conflicts, the Batman injury, Catwoman lobbying and hostile industry treatment; Weinstein’s reputation changes how the history is viewed.
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Young’s appeal is compared with Stanwyck and Sharon Stone: intelligence, control and unpredictability make male characters’ reckless attraction believable.
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A joking Throw Your Life Away Hall of Fame places Edie Falco in Cop Land first and Dana Wheeler-Nicholson in Fletch second; no complete ranked list is supplied.
Approx. transcript time · 00:27:20Read transcript
Sharon Stone is imagined as capable of Susan, but Young’s teasing chemistry with both men feels distinctive.
Approx. transcript time · 00:28:44Read transcript
Hopes for a Young comeback persisted through films such as A Kiss Before Dying; her Ace Ventura role is memorable despite aging poorly.
Approx. transcript time · 00:29:38Read transcript
A Horny Hackman film cluster includes The Firm, No Way Out, Night Moves, Absolute Power and Heartbreakers, with Hoosiers and Superman debated as quieter examples.
Approx. transcript time · 00:30:18Read transcript
Hackman’s ordinary appearance contrasts with his authority, charisma and broad admiration among actors and viewers.
Approx. transcript time · 00:31:18Read transcript
Leachman’s published account prompts extended jokes about an audiobook and an unfinished dinner.
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Contemporary photographs of retired Hackman prompt affection and a wish that paparazzi leave him in peace; remarks belong to the episode’s 2024 context.
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Hackman’s prolific work across the 1970s and 1980s contrasts with his abrupt retirement; the filmography mixes classics and obscure titles.
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The Package is praised as a future episode possibility, and an old Hoosiers podcast video has resurfaced.
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Stories about Hackman’s impatience on Hoosiers and The Royal Tenenbaums lead to jokes about cue cards, quick shoots and working with Eastwood.
Approx. transcript time · 00:36:12Read transcript
Hackman seems to remain the same age for decades; even lesser films such as Class Action and Behind Enemy Lines can be satisfying watches.
Approx. transcript time · 00:37:36Read transcript
Donaldson’s varied filmography includes Cocktail, The Getaway, Species, Thirteen Days and Dante’s Peak; his thrillers emphasize plot more than Adrian Lyne’s.
Approx. transcript time · 00:38:42Read transcript
John Alcott’s cinematography and the helicopter opening make Washington look striking.
Approx. transcript time · 00:39:46Read transcript
Siskel’s negative reaction to No Way Out contrasts with Ebert’s enthusiasm, including disagreement about the characters and performances.
Approx. transcript time · 00:40:35Read transcript
Missing Beverly Hills, 90210 episodes and the delayed availability of Homicide prompt discussion of television music rights.
Approx. transcript time · 00:43:07Read transcript
An unfamiliar supporting performer can steal scenes from established stars.
Approx. transcript time · 00:43:55Read transcript
Scott’s invasion of Tom’s personal space and constant interference make the investigation increasingly tense.
Approx. transcript time · 00:44:31Read transcript
The Manila detour initially seems dispensable, but the later explanation of an empty bag reveals its relevance to Tom’s spy work; an initial objection is withdrawn.
Approx. transcript time · 00:46:51Read transcript
Susan’s slow-motion fall combines conspicuously 1980s effects with a melodramatic murder sequence.
Approx. transcript time · 00:49:06Read transcript
A hypothetical accidental killing prompts jokes about which friend would arrange escape and which would insist on calling police.
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Iman’s relationships with Warren Beatty, Spencer Haywood and David Bowie prompt a brief biographical detour.
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Jason Bernard’s roles in Liar Liar, The White Shadow and WarGames are recalled.
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A hypothetical revelation that a friend is a Russian spy becomes a joke about neighborhood and pizza recommendations.
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Howard Duff is initially mistaken for Joe Don Baker; the confusion extends to Cape Fear before Duff’s identity is corrected.
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The submarine subplot is reconstructed: the Russians favor a detectable American vessel, while Tom increasingly enjoys his American life and delays his assignment.
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Patton’s Remember the Titans performance is recalled as both bizarre and iconic.
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Patton and Terry Kinney are jokingly treated as rivals for similar supporting roles, followed by a defense of Kinney’s theatrical stature.
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International financing is offered as one reason modern Hollywood avoids clearly identified national villains.
Approx. transcript time · 01:19:58Read transcript
A hypothetical casino purchase of the Celtics becomes a riff on casino names and the team.
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A driverless Waymo ride inspires a joking crime-movie premise and title variations.
Approx. transcript time · 01:26:58Read transcript
A speculative mistress pyramid includes Debi Mazar, Mrs. Robinson, Casino and the Godfather films; no completed ranking is established.
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Tubi’s many confusing genre categories prompt a wish to curate the service.
Approx. transcript time · 01:28:35Read transcript
Dzundza’s work in The Deer Hunter and Law & Order is praised.
Approx. transcript time · 01:30:35Read transcript
Remember the Titans inspires jokes about coaching, video games and how winning quickly transforms attitudes.
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An imaginary conversation between Susan and Tom becomes a riff on baseball streaks, basketball draft choices and concealed Russian allegiances.
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A Waterworld reassessment praises its ambitious action while another viewer remains unconvinced after revisiting the opening.
Approx. transcript time · 01:44:36Read transcript
Costner’s all-American image makes the final identity reversal especially effective; later-era Cruise or Pitt are imagined in a comparable role.
Approx. transcript time · 01:46:04Read transcript
The Recruit is identified as Donaldson’s later film exploring similar territory.
Approx. transcript time · 01:47:20Read transcript
A first-time viewer and his brother stood up at the revelation and replayed the final fifteen minutes, having missed the pay-phone and landlord clues.
Approx. transcript time · 01:48:10Read transcript
A dissenting viewer finds Young’s performance cartoonish and the opening weak, but thinks the film steadily improves; the others strongly disagree.
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A prior claim that Philip Seymour Hoffman is overrated is revisited and challenged.
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Mainstream 1980s films are compared with modern streaming fare, with a defense of their stronger visual production values.
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