A good mystery novel relies on intrigue, suspicion, and unexpected twists, no matter how unlikely they may seem. That is perhaps the most disappointing aspect of The Woman in Cabin 10, as it unfolds with little surprise or suspense. It becomes the latest installment in a growing list of lackluster book adaptations straight to streaming, this time on Netflix.
Written and directed by Simon Stone, with Joe Shrapnel and Anna Waterhouse in collaboration, the film strips away much of what made Ruth Ware's New York Times bestselling novel so compelling. In doing so, it drains the story of tension and atmosphere, resulting in a flat and uninspired thriller that struggles to hold the viewer's attention.
Director: Simon Stone
Writers: Joe Shrapnel, Anna Waterhouse, Simon Stone
Stars: Keira Knightley, Guy Pearce, David Ajala
The story follows Lo (Keira Knightley), a journalist for The Guardian, who is still dealing with recent personal and professional trauma. Her boss, Rowan (Gugu Mbatha-Raw), suggests a respite from the chaos at work, leading Lo to accept an invitation to the Aurora Borealis, a luxury superyacht owned by shipping heiress Anne (Lisa Loven Kongsli) and her husband Richard (Guy Pearce). The trip, overlooking the icy waters of Norway, is intended to found a charitable foundation while Anne battles terminal cancer, offering Lo the perfect distraction.
The film wastes no time getting Lo on board, trading meaningful character development for a snappy introduction that propels the plot but neglects emotional depth. The only character with a notable story is photojournalist Ben (David Ajala), Lo's ex, while the rest of the cast seems very thinly sketched. Among the guests are the sharp-tongued couple Heidi (Hannah Waddingham) and Thomas (David Morrissey), Richard's eccentric rock star brother Danny (Paul Kaye), Dr. Robert (Art Malik), who cares for Anne during her illness, and the seemingly famous Grace (Kaya Scodelario). All of these characters seem more like background noise than fully developed personalities, fading into the film's bright but empty world.
What should have been an easy task quickly turns sinister. After a private audience with Anne, where the heiress reveals her final wish to leave her fortune to charity and separate from her husband Richard, Lo is later awakened by the sounds of a struggle. To her shock and dismay, she witnesses a mysterious body being thrown overboard from the supposedly empty cabin 10.
Just as the mystery begins, it seems to be resolved almost instantly. The film introduces a few minor twists, all of which fall into the clichés of any low-budget murder mystery without offering anything truly surprising. What the audience expects to happen is exactly what happens, leaving a sour taste in the mouth.
Perhaps an even bigger flaw is that, despite boasting a stellar cast of talented actors, they are underutilized. Only characters remotely involved in the mystery receive meaningful development, while many supporting roles could be eliminated entirely without affecting the plot or the main intrigue—a particularly unforgivable flaw in a film of this genre.
Keira Knightley, in her first return to film in over two and a half years, fails to elevate the material presented to her, making her performance rather forgettable, though not by any fault of her own. In fact, there isn't a single performance that leaves a lasting impression, a reflection of the poor quality of the script and the scant material provided to the cast.
Audiences may have been spoiled by murder mysteries like the Knives Out franchise, but a thriller of this nature is destined to deliver an intense and absorbing experience. Instead, The Woman in Cabin 10 becomes increasingly tedious as its predictable denouement unfolds. Despite its runtime of only 95 minutes, the film drags, and the final act drags painfully.
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