If you go into The Woman In Cabin 10 expecting a mystery thriller where you can’t tell what’s happening and the suspense is killing you, then you’re going to be largely disappointed. What you might be expecting is the lovechild of Triangle Of Sadness and Knives Out, but that’s not what this is at all. The Woman In Cabin 10 is a gritty and dark thriller, yes, but mainly about a journalist trying to get over their traumatic past. What’s disappointing is that, purely off the back of the marketing, a good performance could turn lackluster thanks to the high expectations we set. You’ve got to remember, this is a Netflix original, and despite starring THE Keira Knightly, the story itself is quite unambitious, making for a dull if not downright bad thriller.
Ever since Knives Out became such a massive hit, production companies expect formulaic storytelling and films to make it big thanks to the success of one genuinely good film. What they don’t realize is that most of these movies feel like cheap second-hand copies that never really know what they’re trying to give us. This movie is set on a yacht, with an Agatha Christie-an damp and dark atmosphere. Oh, and to add to that, the British accents make it clear that you’re not going to be seeing anything bright and happy in this film. Jokes aside, though, for an all-serious murder mystery starring Keira Knightley and Guy Pearce, the actual substance is nada, so despite the exciting performances, it lacks the suspenseful aspect of a regularly thrilling film.
The unfortunate truth is that no matter how hard I try to tell you that, despite the byline of this film, the story is actually just about one woman, you will most likely end up disappointed. And I won’t blame you for it. The film tells the story of investigative journalist Laura Blacklock, a woman who is well known for her endeavors and for speaking up for those who don’t have a voice. Her character itself is the central piece to this plot. Laura’s invited onto a rich-people’s superyacht, but don’t worry, it’s all for charity. The ultimate purpose is to make a massive announcement at the end of the whole thing in the beautiful Norwegian fjords (how exciting). But things start to go completely awry when Laura is the sole witness to something shady in the cabin next to her (you guessed it, cabin 10). Laura’s determination as a journalist who leaves no stone unturned pushes her to find out the truth about what she’s seen, something that nobody around her believes, not the crew nor the passengers, but does she find anything substantial?
The problem here is that even if you’re meant to feel confused about trusting the narrator here, you never do. There’s a certainty to Knightley’s character that makes it seem like everyone else is mad, not her. To be fair, I appreciate that, but that’s what gives away most of the plot of the film. Additionally, it’s a bit odd that we’re able to catch onto things a bit faster than the investigative team journalist, and some of her moves are really questionable. I don’t even think a regular person on this boat would do any of that in fear of getting caught and never being able to reveal the truth.
Knightley’s performance stays afloat like the luxury yacht she’s on, but just as her character goes underwater, a lot of the film is muddy and breathless nonsense. All the characters seem to be interesting in some way or another, but they’re so underutilized that there’s no point to many of them. Really, it should feel like another Knives Out, but it absolutely doesn’t. Everybody is superficial, devoid of any actual substance, even if they’re just meant to be rich spoilt brats; there needs to be something underneath all that glitz and glam, no? I guess not.
But if I were to sell this movie to you, I’d rebrand it as the story of an award-winning journalist trying to get out of a slump driven by a traumatic incident in the recent past. As someone who genuinely cares about the world, she finds herself skeptical about going on this yacht, still agreeing to do it because it’s the woman who invited her who truly intrigues her. What she’ll find on the yacht is a story of its own, but what she’s able to do for herself is the true substance of The Woman In Cabin 10. But even with all of this, there is no subliminal message hiding underneath the deck. It’s all just out there, and the mystery is solved pretty early on, trying to be unique in the sea of (eclectic) crowded whodunits.
I wish the film were visually brighter, because a yacht could have so much going for it, but instead, apart from a few beautiful scenes of the open, vast ocean, there’s not much to enjoy cinematically here. Given that the film is adapted from a book by Ruth Ware, you’d imagine at least the psychological thriller side would shine through, but it’s lost in the stylishly lit corridors of this fancy yacht, where servants unpack your bags for you. The film feels long at an hour and 30 minutes, making me realize there is no saving us from the second-screen phenomenon of the OTT platform.
Ultimately, even if I wanted to defend a Keira Knightley film 20 years after the release of Pride And Prejudice, I can’t make The Woman In Cabin 10 sound any more entertaining than watching your neighborhood auntie trying to figure out how to use her cellphone frantically. But, I will say, it’s an okay-ish background watch, which is why I’ll give it 2.5 out of 5 stars.
