The Woman in Cabin 10 follows Laura “Lo” Blacklock, played by Keira Knightley, a travel journalist who sees a woman being murdered aboard a cruise ship, a woman who has no records of boarding the ship. Because of a traumatic incident during a previous assignment, Lo’s credibility is repeatedly questioned and her judgment is dismissed as psychologically unreliable, throughout the whole movie.

The movie is adapted from Ruth Ware’s bestselling thriller of the same name. The setting plays a major role in building the film’s mystery and suspense. Most of the story takes place on a luxurious cruise ship in the middle of the sea. The vessel is shiny and sleek, with bluish lighting that heightens the claustrophobia of its cramped spaces. The strange collection of passengers on a suspiciously perfect ship, isolated in the sea creates the feeling that something is bound to go terribly wrong, from the beginning.

After the shocking murder early in the film, the middle portion drags as Lo goes back and forth trying to prove the crime actually happened. For a mystery movie, the story lacks major plot twists, which is made up by the thrill as the main character goes on throwing herself into dangerous situations, keeping the audience on edge.

At times, the story’s heavy focus on Lo highlights a lack of character development of other characters. The other characters feel as though they exist mainly to support her rather than to build the story.

The ending is what brings the film together, with justice ultimately being served and the story neatly resolved. If you are looking for a mystery thriller that is not overly tense and is easy to watch, The Woman in Cabin 10 might be the right fit.

Edited by Anushma Dahal and Bidhya Sapkota