Film Review – The Woman in Cabin 10 (2025)

      The Woman in Cabin 10, 2025.

      Directed by Simon Stone.

      Featuring Keira Knightley, Guy Pearce, David Ajala, Gitte Witt, Art Malik, Gugu Mbatha-Raw, Hannah Waddingham, Kaya Scodelario, David Morrissey, Daniel Ings, Christopher Rygh, Pippa Bennett-Warner, John Macmillan, Paul Kaye, Amanda Collin, Lisa Loven Kongsli, Charles Craddock, Ayọ̀ Owóyẹmi-Peters, Síofra Ní Éilí, Holly Godliman, Kasper Hilton-Hille, Chengxi Fu, Antonia Ganeva, Ingar Helge Gimle, Jaouhar Ben Ayed, and Alyth Ross.

      SYNOPSIS:

      A travel writer uncovers a horrific secret while on a luxury cruise. Amid encouragement from her colleagues to pursue a lighter story or take a break, journalist Laura Blacklock (Keira Knightley) accepts an invitation to join a lavish cruise with wealthy CEOs aiming to raise awareness for a cancer that has afflicted one of their wives. However, the title The Woman in Cabin 10 suggests a murder mystery involving dubious actions, unlikely plot twists, and even well-intentioned characters displaying a frustrating lack of common sense to maintain suspense.

      Richard Bullmer (Guy Pearce) has arranged a yacht cruise in Norway to honor his terminally ill wife, Anne (Lisa Loven Kongsli), inviting a diverse cast, including high-profile rock stars, social media influencers, a family doctor, and others. It's notable how many of the ensemble will end up doing very little besides facing temporary suspicion. From the moment Laura arrives, there's an unsettling vibe—whether due to her clear disconnect with the privileged guests or the presence of her ex-boyfriend, photographer Ben (David Ajala)—which escalates dramatically when she witnesses someone being thrown overboard that night.

      Yet, there’s skepticism towards Laura, as her previous journalistic trip ended in disaster, leading many to believe a woman died because of her actions. This backstory is glossed over and creates confusion, but it serves to portray Laura as an unreliable character who lacks credibility. Nevertheless, the narrative fails to make her seem unhinged, which complicates the premise even further, as the identity of the villain is always evident, regardless of the mystery surrounding the event itself.

      As the story unfolds, viewers experience familiar plot developments, including a mysterious figure attempting to dissuade Laura from her investigation through threatening notes, and a genuine jump scare involving an attempted murder. Laura is misled into thinking that no one is in cabin 10 and that her perceptions are unreliable. The supporting cast is filled with quirky characters, yet none seem likely to be part of any conspiracy, with the exception of Sigrid, Anne’s head of security. Amanda Collin portrays her as a stern, no-nonsense character, delivering a believable performance compared to the film's generally absurd tone. Some plot twists are so ridiculous they seem appeased through the use of advanced AI, which is presented in such a rushed manner it almost invites viewers to ignore its implausibility.

      The film promotes the theme of women supporting each other against shady wealthy men while presenting a rather mild and unremarkable murder mystery, save for one odd twist. Though there might be some entertaining aspects within the intentionally flawed material, co-writer/director Simon Stone’s The Woman in Cabin 10 (co-written with Joe Shrapnel and Anna Waterhouse, based on Emma Frost's adaptation of Ruth Ware's novel) ultimately feels like a prolonged wait for the revelation of the "how." The frustration arises from the fact that everything else in the film is predictable and uninspired.

      Flickering Myth Rating – Film: ★ ★ / Movie: ★ ★

      Robert Kojder