Film Overview"No Way Out" is a 1987 American political thriller movie directed by Roger Donaldson and stars Kevin Costner, Gene Hackman, and Sean Young. The movie script by Robert Garland, based upon the 1946 novel "The Big Clock" by Kenneth Fearing, focuses on a U.S Navy Lieutenant Commander who gets captured in a deadly conspiracy.
Plot SummaryThe film opens with U.S Navy Lieutenant Commander Tom Farrell (Kevin Costner) fulfilling a female named Susan Atwell (Sean Young) at a Washington D.C. ball. Unbeknownst to him, Susan is the girlfriend of his soon-to-be employer, Secretary of Defense David Brice (Gene Hackman).
Upon finding out about Susan's affair with Farrell, an envious Brice unintentionally kills her during a violent confrontation. His trusted aide, Scott Pritchard (Will Patton), creates a cover-up, blaming a fictitious Soviet mole named Yuri, and asks Farrell to lead the investigation, uninformed of his intimate participation with the deceased.
The ConflictAs the examination advances, Farrell has a hard time to conceal his connection with Susan. His job ends up being much more complicated when he discovers a vast political conspiracy, with him being established as Yuri, the main suspect.
Pritchard continues to manipulate pieces of proof and even use Brice's political impact to divert attention away from the Secretary of Defense, all the while pinning the blame on the nonexistent Yuri, and, by repercussion, on Farrell.
Climax and ResolutionThe movie reaches its climax when Farrell manages to get hold of a Polaroid negative that can prove his innocence given that it features Brice and Susan together. However, he is trapped in the Pentagon, with Pritchard's team actively searching him.
In a surprising twist, Farrell manages to expose Brice's complicity in Susan's death to the CIA using proof photographs through a computer system. Understanding his plot is unraveling, a ravaged Pritchard dedicates suicide.
End of the FilmTowards completion of the film, it's exposed that Farrell was certainly a Russian representative, codenamed Yuri, who penetrated the U.S. Navy to spy on Brice's "Phantom Sub" task. The film concludes on a chilling note as Farrell is drawn out back to the Soviet Union, leaving a trail of chaos in his wake.
Conclusion"No Way Out" is a gripping tale of political intrigue and individual deceit, which keeps audiences on edge up until the very end. The efficiencies from Costner, Hackman, and Young enhance the stress in the script and make the film a highly engaging thriller. The unexpected twist at the end of the movie cements its place as an extraordinary political suspense thriller. The lies, betrayals, and thrilling climax contribute to a suspense-filled atmosphere, making "No Way Out" a must-watch for fans of the genre.
Top Cast
