Today’s quick review: No Way Out. Commander Tom Farrell (Kevin Costner) of Navel Intelligence gets a career-making opportunity when David Brice (Gene Hackman), the Secretary of Defense, appoints him to his staff. But things get complicated when Farrell starts dating Susan Atwell (Sean Young), Brice’s mistress. As Farrell tries to keep his relationship a secret, he’s drawn into a dangerous web of espionage and backroom politics.
No Way Out is a spy thriller about an intelligence officer caught between his powerful boss and the woman he loves. As secrets give way to scandal, Farrell must nagivate an ever-changing situation that could end up with him arrested or dead. No Way Out is a carefully constructed thriller with a promising setup and deliberate execution. Its solid fundamentals and consistent quality make it a worthy pick for any fans of the genre.
No Way Out’s strength lies in its plot. From its beginning as a simple love triangle, the story progresses one step at a time until Farrell is at the center of a full-blown cover-up. No Way Out has a knack for making these little steps matter. Each one is the result of some minor decision or coincidence, but taken together, they box Farrell in and force him to make a series of calculated gambles to stay ahead of Brice.
The result is a thriller with a clver setup and a steady sense of progression. No Way Out takes simple pieces and assembles them into an intricate whole, a modestly scoped story that makes good use of the tools at its disposal. Although it is less flashy than its action-packed brethren, No Way Out is a strong choice for anyone in the mood for it.
For a more active thriller involving a similar cover-up, try State of Play or Enemy of the State. For a similar cat-and-mouse game played within the walls of an intelligence agency, try Spy Game, Breach, or The Good Shepherd. For an assassination investigation with a similar setup and a morally questionable main character, try Snake Eyes. For a crime drama about a dangerous love triangle, try Internal Affairs.
[7.1 out of 10 on IMDB](https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0093640/). I give it a 7.0 for strong fundamentals.