Quick Overview
Critics’ Rating
Our Assessment
When stacked against other mediocre Netflix thrillers, The Woman in Cabin 10 emerges as a significant triumph. However, if you hold high expectations for engaging thrillers, this film might be one to abandon rather than embrace.
Current Best Pricing
It’s a dreadful experience to be disbelieved when you know the truth. This is the plight of Laura Blacklock, portrayed by Keira Knightley, who witnesses a murder on a high-end yacht. Despite her background as a journalist, nobody buys her account of the incident. In fact, they question the very existence of the victim.
Fortunately, this journalist might find it easier to convince you of how unexciting The Woman in Cabin 10 truly is.
Netflix has struggled with its original movie offerings, particularly in the thriller genre. With flops like Red Notice, Back In Action, and The Gray Man occupying significant spots on its most-watched films chart, my anticipation for new releases such as this has been sinking faster than… Laura’s stomach while witnessing that unfortunate passenger perish.
The situation is exacerbated by the fact that co-writers Joe Shrapnel and Anna Waterhouse are better known for the lackluster Snake Eyes: G.I. Joe Origins, and the film is directed by Simon Stone, a former theater director whose 2021 biopic The Dig was merely adequate. Nevertheless, I’ve always had a soft spot for Keira Knightley, and given the success of last year’s Black Doves, along with the remarkable cast surrounding her, there was still a glimmer of hope that The Woman in Cabin 10 could surpass expectations.
Sadly, my optimism turned out to be as misguided as the boat’s manipulating crew insists Laura is.
Adapted from Ruth Ware’s popular novel, The Woman in Cabin 10 begins with an appealing setup, presenting a faithful interpretation of the central enigma: Who was thrown overboard, and why would anyone risk murder at sea when escape seems impossible? Unless, of course, no actual murder took place at all…
Upon reporting the sighting of a passenger overboard, Laura finds the ship’s crew conducting a head count and claiming that no one is missing. It seems Laura must have imagined everything, even the bloody handprint she witnessed on the glass, which has mysteriously vanished. Only Laura’s ex-boyfriend, Ben, offers her a semblance of trust as she delves into the investigation.
The film has ample opportunity to generate suspense from its confined setting, revisiting classic Hitchcockian elements with a contemporary twist on the theme of female gaslighting. However, the only pressure I felt was the need to quicken the film’s pace or risk getting submerged in its mediocrity.
…the only pressure I felt was the need to quicken the film’s pace or risk getting submerged in its mediocrity
It’s not merely that the plot twists take the safe route. They initially hint at deeper layers but then veer off into bizarre territory with improbable outcomes that detach the film from any semblance of reality. Combine that with the lackluster Netflix aesthetic that often plagues their original films, and the screenplay soon feels implausible, culminating in a chaotic and almost nonsensical finale.
A significant part of the film’s failure lies in how poorly the major twist is executed, and how implausible it is that the other characters didn’t grasp the reality sooner. Revealing more would spoil one of the script’s more dynamic moments. On the brighter side, this notable twist occurs sooner than expected, sparing viewers from further drag.
To be fair, this twist is essential to the original story, so it wasn’t feasible for the writers to omit it without significantly altering the narrative. I suspect that had I read the book, the reveal may have landed more effectively on the page, as our imaginations would fill in the gaps left by visuals.
Keira certainly carries a lot of weight, anchoring the story with one of the film’s stronger performances. However, there’s only so much one can do with such a lackluster script. Guy Pearce and Hannah Waddingham also lend their star power, but it’s far less impactful than one might hope from either veteran actor.
Star Trek: Discovery’s David Ajala stands out among the cast, engaging in a lively exchange with Knightley’s journalist as her charming ex. Their dynamic on screen brings The Woman in Cabin 10 tantalizingly close to resembling a film crafted by actual human beings rather than a design generated by an AI scraping recent beach reads at the airport bookstore.
Keira certainly carries a lot of weight, anchoring the story with one of the film’s stronger performances
<pYet, the presence of talents like Kaya Scodelario and Gugu Mbatha-Raw is overshadowed by their uninspiring roles, reminding us that this is indeed an original Netflix thriller. Mbatha-Raw is particularly burdened with a line that may go down as one of the more poorly delivered lines of recent memory. You’ll know it when you hear it.
Recently, author Ruth Ware shared with Tudum that her tale continues to resonate even a decade later:
“At its core, Cabin 10 is about a woman who witnesses something wrong, reports her truth, and is dismissed due to her identity.”
And she’s right. Enduring The Woman in Cabin 10 will leave you feeling like you’ve encountered something amiss. That much is certain.
Is The Woman in Cabin 10 Worth Watching?
Much like an airport-read paperback you might pick up for a getaway, The Woman in Cabin 10 isn’t destined to transform your life. In fact, it’s likely to fade from your memory the moment the credits roll. Personally, I’d prefer to get lost at sea than become lost in this narrative again, but if you seek something straightforward and mindless, Keira Knightley’s latest offering could fit the bill.
The Woman in Cabin 10 is currently available on Netflix. You can subscribe here, with plans starting at £5.99/$7.99 per month.
Related Readings
