Review of No Way Out (1987) by Compi24 — 25 Jan 2019

One of the strangest movies I've seen in recent memory, and for many reasons. Firstly, it happens to be one of the rare filmic occurrences where a second act can tower largely over its bookending acts in terms of quality.

"No Way Out's" central conceit -- once it finally gets going -- is a perfectly engrossing game of cat and mouse, featuring a valued use of dramatic irony and some terrific plotting. Acts one and three, however, are far from perfect, with the former falling into the realm of humdrum 80's cheese and the latter implementing a mindbogglingly unnecessary twist that honestly leaves more questions than answers.

Throw in one of the most distractingly dated scores I've ever heard and you've got yourself quite the experience. Was it an experience that I regret? Not at all. But its flaws are just too flagrant to ignore.