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No Way Out

Name: No Way Out
Genre: Drama, Crime, Thriller
Released: 1950-08-16
Cast: Richard Widmark, Linda Darnell, Sidney Poitier, Stephen McNally, Mildred Joanne Smith

1950 | 106 min | Drama, Crime, Thriller

Sunday Safe Betearly rating

Why it’s a Sunday Safe Bet

It earned strong reviews (86% on Rotten Tomatoes), though it had a box office flop. A safe bet when you want something reliable.

Based on critics, audiences, awards, box office and buzz. Details below.

Is it for you?

Who'll love it: Made for crime-drama fans and anyone who likes to be kept guessing. If you loved In the Heat of the Night or Point Blank, start here. Critics rate it higher than audiences do, so it rewards patience more than it chases thrills.
The mood: Tense, dark and gritty.
The pace: Takes its time with its characters, at 1 hr 46 min.
What might put you off: Made in 1950: an older pace and style.
Audiences were cooler on it than critics.

Two hoodlum brothers are brought into hospital for gunshot wounds, and when one dies, the other accuses their Black doctor of murder.

How it earned its rating

CriticsStrong
86% on Rotten Tomatoes
AudiencesSolid
6.9 out of 10
AwardsSolid
Nominated for 1 Oscar.
Box office & staying powerWeak
$1 million worldwide; still draws a steady audience long after release
Buzz & cultural impactSolid
About 32K people sought it out in the past year

Trailer

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Cast & crew

Directed by Joseph L. Mankiewicz

Richard WidmarkRay Biddle
Linda DarnellEdie Johnson
Sidney PoitierLuther Brooks
Stephen McNallyDan Wharton
Mildred Joanne SmithCora Brooks
Harry BellaverGeorge Biddle
Stanley RidgesSam Moreland
Dots JohnsonLefty Jones
Robert AdlerLouie (uncredited)
Ernest AndersonSchool Teacher (uncredited)