The Wasteland Reviewer

The Woman in Cabin 10 (2025) Written Review

Are we ready for another whodunnit in a rich person space full of famous actors? Oh…and it is also from Netflix! You probably thought this was about the next Knives Out, but it is about The Woman in Cabin 10. Director Simon Stone takes the reins of Ruth Ware novel about a travel journalist who is caught up in a murderous plot and cover-up on a yacht (a.k.a. rich person space). Netflix gave the film enough money too to get a nice cast of famous actors and some talented character actors. Stone is bringing a combo of Gaslight, an Agatha Christie novel, and Speed 2: Cruise Control.

How does Stone translate this Ware novel to the big screen (of Netflix)? This film has a sleek, contemporary film that matches this whodunnit well. There are some fleeting moments of inspired camerawork as well (courtesy of Director of Photography, Ben Davis). The setting of the film is on a giant yacht, but it is still a claustrophobic setting that Stone and Davis leverage well. The camera moves in interesting ways (at times) navigating the space which builds up tension and suspense. The pacing is rock solid too with the film only being around 90 minutes and it does feel long. Outside of that, the film feels like a rock-solid directorial effort that keeps the tone consistent and has some fleeting moments of humor as well. 

How does this script bring Ware’s novel to life? There is one giant glaring issue with the film…you must suspend your disbelief SO much to even enjoy this story. The conceit of the whole film is that Keira Knightley’s Laura Blacklock witnesses a woman dead in the water and a mysterious woman on the ship in a cabin (the titular “10”) which was supposedly empty. This is that type of movie. Laura knows what she saw (and we know what she saw) and literally NO ONE believes. No matter the evidence and logic of the situation (there are so many things pointing towards something nefarious going on), no one will believe Laura in the slightest. The frustrations are so large for the experience of the film making you want to check out. The film is so hard to believe and the gaslighting is so ridiculous that it zaps the enjoyment out of the whodunnit. The revelations of what is going on are so obvious from the start that the film lacks real tension. Almost all of the characters in the film are completely flat and one-dimensional. This might look slick, and the cast might be stacked (more on that soon) but the film is so flimsy. If you can suspend your disbelief, you can probably have some solid genre fun. 

Does the cast add much to this weak and flimsy script? Knightley is a solid presence in this film, giving a needed anchoring performance. She is one of the best actors who never gets mentioned enough and she gives the film some much-needed creditability. Guy Pearce is a big name to inject in the film, but his casting does make some revelations a little too obvious despite him giving a fine performance. The likes of Hannah Waddington and Paul Kaye have some big personalities which elevate the thinly written characters they are saddled with. There are a few wasted talents as well, including Gugu Mbatha-Raw. Daniel Ings channels a performance that is fun and like his recent work in The Gentlemen series on Netflix. But the biggest performance certainly comes from Lisa Loven Kongsli who is unhinged and memorable. 

Is The Woman in Cabin 10 a worthwhile thriller to check out on Netflix? If your benchmark is experiencing some standard whodunnit and thriller elements even if the writing isn’t too strong, then this might be a fun watch on streaming. The slick, contemporary filmmaking and look makes it visually watchable. Knightley and crew give enough (for the most part). But this film has huge potential to be ridiculously frustrating. Be warned…this is a shaky experience for sure.