Like its book-to-film predecessors The Girl on the Train and The Woman in the Window, The Woman in Cabin 10 centers on a gaslit woman who must unravel a mystery on her own after witnessing a suspicious event.
As with the previously mentioned beach-read adaptations, Simon Stone’s Netflix version also falters by the midpoint, letting the tension fade well before the already-short runtime ends. However, the polished production design, orchestral score, and strong performances from a talented cast help steady the film, making the chaotic events at sea feel a bit more manageable.
Journalist Laura Has Just Returned To Work
Award-winning investigative journalist Laura “Lo” Blacklock, played by Keira Knightley, has just returned to work following the death of a young female source. The charity cruise to Norway is organized by terminally ill shipping heiress Anne Bullmer (Lisa Loven Kongsli) and her husband Richard (Guy Pearce) to support their foundation. Onboard, Laura discovers that her photographer ex-boyfriend Ben Morgan (David Ajala) is covering the event, and that Anne herself specifically invited her to join the trip.
She requests Lo’s help in revealing that she will be donating her entire fortune at the end-of-the-line gala scheduled in a few days. Their plans for a peaceful vacation are disrupted in the early hours of the first morning. Lo hears a struggle in the neighboring cabin, followed by a sharp splash in the icy ocean. She thinks it was the anxious woman she had briefly encountered the previous evening. However, after reporting the incident, she is told that the cabin is actually empty.
Trying To Determine Who The Tense And Disheveled Blonde Is
Lo begins focusing on the guests and crew of the high-tech ship as she tries to determine who the nervous, disheveled blonde she saw really is. The guests include aging rock star Danny (Paul Kaye), Dame Heidi Heatherly (Hannah Waddingham) and her husband Thomas (David Morrissey), influencer Grace Phillips (Kaya Scodelario), tech mogul Lars Jensen (Christopher Rygh), playboy Adam Sutherland (Daniel Ings), and Anne’s personal physician Dr. Mehta (Art Malik). As Lo gets closer to uncovering the truth, the threat escalates, revealing that someone is determined to kill her.