The Woman in Cabin 10 just dropped on Netflix, and it’s exactly the kind of thing you put on when you want something dramatic but not too demanding. There’s a luxury yacht. A missing woman. Keira Knightley looking tense in a bathrobe. It’s got all the ingredients of a glossy, high-society whodunnit. It just doesn’t cook for long enough.
The Woman in Cabin 10
A sleek mystery that starts with promise but never delivers on the tension. It looks great and Keira Knightley does her part, but the story plays it too safe to leave any real impact.
Pros
- Strong lead performance from Keira Knightley
- Stylish set design and lighting
- Quick and digestible runtime
Cons
- Flat supporting cast
- Predictable plot and rushed ending
- Lacks tension, depth, or surprise
The setup is promising. Keira Knightley plays Lo Blacklock, a travel writer still reeling from a recent break-in. She gets sent on a press trip aboard a sleek, ultra-luxurious cruise ship - less cocktails by the pool, more abstract sculptures and fine dining. On her first night, she hears a scream from the cabin next door and sees what looks like a body going overboard. She reports it right away, but no one takes her seriously. That cabin, she’s told, was empty the whole time. Nothing happened. Maybe she imagined the whole thing.
So begins the classic gaslight spiral. She pushes, everyone pushes back, and the more she insists, the less anyone believes her, including herself.
It’s the kind of story that should build tension the longer it goes on. Instead, it kind of jogs in place. Every scene goes like this: she brings up the woman in Cabin 10, someone says she’s confused, she looks upset, repeat. There’s very little escalation, which makes it feel like you’re stuck in a loop rather than watching something unfold.
Knightley does what she can. She’s good at playing someone who’s on edge but trying to hold it together. You believe her panic. You buy the fact that she’s losing sleep and starting to unravel. But the film doesn’t give her much of a journey. She starts frazzled and ends slightly less frazzled, but that’s about it.
The rest of the characters don’t offer much either. There are hints of shady behaviour, but no one really stands out. You’ve got the mysterious host, the too-nice assistant, the guy who clearly knows more than he’s saying. They all feel like placeholder characters from a murder mystery board game. Nobody’s fleshed out, so you don’t get attached to anyone or really care what their deal is.
Even the big twist, when it arrives, doesn’t land. You can see it coming from a mile away, and when it hits, it’s delivered in such a flat, mechanical way that it doesn’t feel earned. There’s no rush of realisation. No satisfying click. Just a “yep, okay" and we move on.
It’s a shame, because the setting does a lot of work. The ship is beautiful. The lighting is moody. The ocean always looks cold and endless. You do get a sense of isolation, which helps. It’s just not enough. A thriller needs more than vibes. It needs pressure.
Pacing falls flat as well. The film is short, but it moves like it’s stuck in second gear. The suspense never really clicks into place. Instead, it feels like we’re constantly waiting for the story to get going. Scenes stretch on without adding much, and moments that should build tension fizzle out. By the time the ending arrives, it feels like the film is winding down instead of hitting any peak.
Also, if you’ve read the book, this version will probably feel watered down. It cuts out some of the more complex layers and trades them in for something safer and simpler. The psychological stuff gets skimmed over. You don’t get to sit in Lo’s doubt or fear for long enough. The movie keeps things moving, even when you feel like it's time to slow down and dig in.
That’s the biggest problem, really. It never digs in. It never goes deep enough to be interesting or wild enough to be fun. It just kind of floats along, pretty and forgettable.
It’s not terrible. You could do worse on a weeknight. If you want something you can half-watch while scrolling your phone, this will do the trick. But if you’re hoping for a twisty, tightly written thriller with bite, this one might leave you bored.
