In an era when every piece of content seems forced to retell “true stories,” it’s hardly surprising that we’ve become the toughest critics when faced with pure fiction. The Woman in Cabin 10 arrived with big expectations — the adaptation of a best-selling novel that, at its release, helped define a wave of thrillers led by bitter, traumatized, and often unreliable women. Think Gone Girl, The Girl on the Train, and the countless “heroines” haunted by both truth and perception.

Working with clichés is as inevitable as it is dangerous. Trying to reinvent the wheel is even riskier. The Woman in Cabin 10 doesn’t aim to be “original,” but it tells a “new” story in the sense that it embraces simplicity — and a final twist that only works if you’re willing to surrender to the fun.

The mystery on board

The plot follows Lo Blacklock (Keira Knightley), an investigative journalist given the rare chance to cover the inaugural voyage of the Aurora Borealis, an ultra-luxurious yacht filled with secrets, champagne, and curated exclusivity. One sleepless night, after a mix of anxiety and too much wine, Lo hears a scream and witnesses what she’s certain is a woman being thrown overboard — from the cabin right next to hers.

The problem? No one believes her. No passenger is missing, the ship’s manifest shows no “woman in cabin 10,” and Lo’s own credibility — fragile after medication, trauma, and drinking — unravels with every attempt to prove she isn’t hallucinating. The yacht’s confined space, the isolation at sea, and her growing paranoia turn the dream assignment into a psychological trap.

The steady brilliance of Keira Knightley

Keira Knightley is the film’s anchor. Having transitioned gracefully from teenage stardom to adult gravitas, she commands attention with quiet authority. It would have been easy for her to slip into the usual clichés of the “hysterical woman” trope — the screaming, the tears, the trembling panic — but she doesn’t.

Knightley resists all that. Her Lo stays logical, calm, and composed, even as the script around her begins to unravel. She carries the movie’s tension with minimal gestures and maximum conviction, proving again that few actors can do so much with so little.

From page to screen

The film is a faithful adaptation of Ruth Ware’s novel, which means it also inherits the book’s weaknesses. What works on the page — the internal monologue, the unreliable narration, and the final reveal of an absurdly intricate plan (a fake death to secure a signature on a will, no less) — feels clunky and far-fetched on screen.

But does it matter? Not really. The film’s mission isn’t to reinvent the genre; it’s to distract — and it succeeds. It’s glossy, atmospheric, and watchable, a piece of escapism wrapped in maritime mystery.

A light dive into dark waters

Ultimately, The Woman in Cabin 10 isn’t trying to be Gone Girl or The Girl on the Train. It simply reminds us that there’s still room for the old-fashioned, slightly ridiculous, yet deeply enjoyable thrillers that once dominated Friday nights.

Yes, it’s predictable. Yes, some of its twists border on implausible. But there’s a comfort in that predictability — and something oddly soothing about watching Keira Knightley steer this