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Review: The Woman in Cabin 10 (2025)
Step aboard a luxury yacht that glimmers like a dream—and then shatters it into fragments of paranoia. Directed by Simon Stone (The Dig, The Daughter) and dropping on Netflix this October 10, The Woman in Cabin 10 plunges viewers into a psychological undercurrent where trust aboard ship is as unsteady as the ocean beneath.
Plot & Atmosphere
Keira Knightley stars as Laura “Lo” Blacklock, an accomplished travel journalist sent to document a plush maiden voyage on a superyacht—equal parts glamour and glacial detachment. In the stillness of night, Lo witnesses a woman tossed overboard. But in a twist worthy of Flightplan, the crew insists everyone is accounted for. Lo’s insistence she is not dreaming ignites a pulse-pounding mystery, with the yacht’s corridors morphing into labyrinths of gaslighting and suspicion.
This isn’t just a thriller—it’s a psychological vortex. Simon Stone frames the yacht as a “luxurious bunker,” where isolation becomes the vessel’s gravest weapon.
Performances: Knightley Anchors the Storm
Knightley grounds the film. She’s not simply unraveling; she’s breaking through layers of dismissal with steely resolve. Her nuanced performance—trembling yet unbowed—brings believability to a premise begging disbelief. It’s a departure from her period-pieces polish and an evolution toward raw tension.
Across the deck, the supporting cast—Guy Pearce’s imperious yacht owner Richard Bullmer, Gugu Mbatha-Raw, Hannah Waddingham, David Ajala, and others—imbue the ensemble with undercurrents of ambiguity and menace.
Critical Buzz & Insights
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People reports that Knightley anchors the film’s “intense psychological journey,” with filming on a $150 million superyacht lending both realism and uncanny glamour.
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Tom’s Guide calls it a “compelling watch” for fall 2025, praising its twisty plot and Queen-of-the-Sea rewrite of Flightplan.
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Author Ruth Ware—whose best-selling novel serves as the foundation—shared deep appreciation, calling the adaptation “a dream come true” and lauding the cast’s commitment to bringing her world to life.
Why It Resonates
For American audiences who cherish cinema that tautly balances intelligence with dread, The Woman in Cabin 10delivers. It’s not flashy; it’s tightly wound. It’s not bombastic; it’s unnervingly intimate. Lo’s fight for truth becomes our fight, and the film’s claustrophobic isolation faces outward—asking us whether we’re truly watching… or just along for the ride.
The Woman in Cabin 10 is a film that is made not just to entertain, but to disturb, to make us think, to push us into that grey area where truth and fiction blur. Keira Knightley doesn’t just star, she unravels the mysteries and challenges us to hold on tight.
| Attribute | Details |
|---|---|
| Release Year | 2025 – Netflix premiere on October 10 |
| Director | Simon Stone |
| Screenwriters | Joe Shrapnel, Anna Waterhouse, Simon Stone |
| Producers | Debra Hayward, Ilda Diffley (also Cindy Holland, Ellen Goldsmith-Vein) |
| Starring | Keira Knightley, Guy Pearce, Gugu Mbatha-Raw, Hannah Waddingham, Art Malik, Kaya Scodelario, David Morrissey, David Ajala ( |
| Music | Benjamin Wallfisch |
| Cinematography | Ben Davis |
| Editing | Katie Weiland & Mark Day |
| Production Companies | Sister Pictures (with CBS Films, Gotham Group involvement) |
| Distributor / Studio | Netflix |
| Budget | Not publicly disclosed |
