Laura Blacklock (Keira Knightley), a well-recognized journalist, receives an invitation to cover the maiden voyage of an opulent yacht, Aurora Borealis. Richard Bullmer (Guy Pearce), the host/owner of the yacht, invites some of the wealthiest people on Earth for this trip, which will conclude in Norway, where a charity event has been organized. The guest list includes Grace (Kaya Scodelario), Adam (Daniel Ings), Heidi (Hannah Waddingham), and Thomas Heatherley (David Morrissey). Did I miss anyone? Never mind. Oh, Ben (David Ajala) is also present on the yacht, and he is important because he is a photographer and Laura's ex-boyfriend as well as ex-colleague. As far as the story is concerned, it takes on a paranoid tone when Laura sees someone being thrown overboard from the ship. Who's the victim? The titular woman — the woman in Cabin 10. Ah, but you see, according to the guests and the crew members, she doesn't exist. Cabin 10 has been empty from the beginning of the trip. The guest who was supposed to arrive cancelled. Then who did Laura see? Is she imagining things?
We all know the answer to that last question. The protagonists in films like these don't just "imagine things," or at least, they don't dream about someone's murder and then end up being proved wrong eventually. The Woman in Cabin 10 is a standard Netflix affair in that sense. It merely exists. As is the tradition, the climax is ridiculous, but that's part of the deal. What you really want from a movie like this is a cast that knows how to have fun, how to keep you distracted from the bum plot, how to be delightfully bitchy. Actors like Scodelario, Ings, and Waddingham certainly fit the bill; yet something crucial is missing. If The Woman in Cabin 10 feels forgettable and weak, that's because the performances aren't allowed to bounce off each other — everybody is locked in their own little cabin. And except for Knightley's Laura, others do little more than just pose in the background like well-dressed mannequins. Knightley, for her part, is overqualified for a role like this, but she keeps you watching. Nonetheless, what she gives is a solo performance when the film actually needed many duets. The fault lies not with her but with Simon Stone, the director, who remains detached and impersonal. The Woman in Cabin 10 needed Stone, who made the overlooked 2021 drama The Dig — the Stone who knew how to guide his actors and evoke deep feelings. Unfortunately, the Stone we get overly depends on Knightley to do the heavy lifting.
Final Score- [3/10]
Reviewed by - Vikas Yadav
Follow @vikasonorous on Twitter
Publisher at Midgard Times