‘The Woman in Cabin 10’ Movie Review

Now streaming on Netflix, The Woman in Cabin 10 is a sleek yet uneven mystery-thriller that promises an Agatha Christie-inspired whodunit but struggles to maintain its suspense.

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Directed by Simon Stone (The Dig), this adaptation of Ruth Ware’s 2016 novel boasts a talented cast led by Keira Knightley and stunning production design, but its early reveal of key plot points and underutilized ensemble dim its potential. While the film delivers moments of Hitchcockian tension and a captivating lead performance, its predictable narrative and rushed conclusion make it a passable but unmemorable addition to the genre.

A Promising Setup on a Luxurious Superyacht

Keira Knightley stars as Laura Blacklock, an experienced investigative journalist for The Guardian who is haunted by trauma following the death of a source she had been working on. She is assigned to report on the first voyage of the luxury superyacht Savannah, and for Laura, the trip is a way to mix work with a holiday. The vessel, chartered by terminally ill Norwegian heiress Anne Lyngstad (Lisa Loven Kongsli) and her smooth-talking spouse Richard Bullmer (Guy Pearce), is filled with an eclectic mix of passengers, including businessman Thomas Heatherley (David Morrissey), his boozing wife Heidi (Hannah Waddingham), social media influencer Grace Phillips (Kaya Scodelario), tech-savvy nerd Adam Sutherland (Daniel Ings), geriatric rock star Danny Tyler (Paul Kaye), and tech photography specialist Ben Morgan (David Ajala), Laura’s former flame.

There will be a classic closed-room mystery when Laura is awakened by a scream and sees a woman thrown overboard on the first night, spotting blood on a balcony railing. Convinced the woman was the occupant of cabin 10, who she had chatted to for a few moments earlier, Laura is left gobsmacked when the crew informs her all passengers are accounted for and no one was ever there. As Laura digs deeper, she becomes a victim of gaslighting by the crew and passengers, insidiously cultivating her paranoia and plotting out a Flightplan-style thriller in which no one is above suspicion.

Strong Performances Amid a Faltering Mystery

Keira Knightley gives a strong performance as Laura, walking the tightrope between professional alertness and sensitivity born of trauma. She gives the film its center, making Laura a sympathetic heroine who is both capable and in over her head. Guy Pearce infuses Richard with his own brand of menace and charisma, masticating the scenery with hamminess and charm in equal measure, à la his performances in The Count of Monte Cristo and Iron Man 3. Daniel Ings plays the idiosyncratic Adam, bringing a satirical tinge that makes fun of the upper crust, and David Ajala provides tension as Ben, whose history with Laura makes his involvement complicate her investigation.

Sadly, the considerable talent of the cast—Waddingham, Morrissey, Scodelario, and Kaye—is mostly squandered in underwritten parts. These players seem like broad archetypes with no nuance, more background figures than the rich suspects of a Christie-esque whodunit. This failure to flesh them out takes away from the stakes of the film, as the audience is not given much reason to care about the supporting players.

A Mystery That Unravels Too Soon

Adapted by Simon Stone, Joe Shrapnel, and Anna Waterhouse from a script by Emma Frost (based on Ware’s novel), The Woman in Cabin 10 starts strong with its isolated setting and evocative cinematography by Ben Davis (The Banshees of Inisherin). The superyacht’s opulent interiors and the chilly Scandinavian vistas (filmed in Scotland’s Glen Affric Estate) create a striking backdrop that enhances the film’s early suspense. However, the narrative stumbles by revealing critical plot details within the first 20 minutes, effectively solving the mystery before it fully unfolds. A key conversation between Laura and Anne early on telegraphs the culprit, leaving perceptive viewers waiting for Laura to catch up.

The film’s pacing falters as it shifts from a promising mystery to a straightforward thriller. A lengthy expository sequence midway through spells out the plot for distracted viewers, undermining the suspense and punishing those who’ve been paying attention. By the time the film reaches its climax, the resolution feels rushed and implausible, with plot holes that unravel under scrutiny. Unlike Christie’s tightly woven narratives or Rian Johnson’s clever *Knives Out* series, *The Woman in Cabin 10* lacks the ingenuity to keep audiences guessing.

A Familiar Formula with Modest Appeal

Drawing inspiration from female-led mysteries like Gone Girl and The Girl on the Train, The Woman in Cabin 10 follows a well-trodden path but fails to match the narrative coherence of its predecessors. Its brisk 95-minute runtime ensures it never overstays its welcome, and the confined setting amplifies Laura’s isolation, echoing the tension of classic Hitchcock films. Yet, the film feels more like a made-for-TV movie than a cinematic standout, fitting comfortably among Netflix’s vast catalog of serviceable thrillers.

For mystery fans, The Woman in Cabin 10 offers enough intrigue and strong performances to warrant a watch, especially for those drawn to Knightley’s nuanced portrayal or the allure of a cruise-ship conspiracy. However, its predictable twists and underbaked supporting characters prevent it from reaching the heights of its genre inspirations. If you’re looking for a quick, undemanding thriller to stream, this film delivers modest entertainment—just don’t expect a puzzle that keeps you guessing until the end.

Verdict: The Woman in Cabin 10 is a visually polished thriller with a standout performance by Keira Knightley, but its early reveal and lackluster conclusion make it a forgettable entry in the whodunit genre. Perfect for a casual Netflix night, but don’t expect a masterpiece.