Written by: Joe Shrapnel, Anna Waterhouse, Simon Stone
Starring: Keira Knightley, Guy Pearce, Art Malik, Gugu Mbatha-Raw, Kaya Scodelario
Rating: [3/5]
Whether from an abundance of resources or just a regular refusal to accept the defeat, the ultra wealthy continue to find ways to get whatever they want, no matter the circumstance placed before them. This transpires in many facets of their lives and even in heinous ways, as we see in The Woman in Cabin 10. A film that seeks to do nothing beyond standard fare within its genre and does its baseline job in entertaining despite its many flaws.
Recovering from a recent traumatic situation with a trusted source, journalist Laura (Keira Knightly) receives an invitation to take a trip on a luxury yacht with many other wealthy individuals. While on board, she meets a woman who she suspects was killed on one of the nights of the voyage. However, upon investigation, no one knows who Laura’s referencing and act as if she does not exist, driving Laura to question everything transpiring on this yacht.
Whenever a story starts with “The Woman,” you already know what type of story will unfold here. A thriller that will have some intriguing reveals and situations set to distress our lead character. In this instance, Laura finds herself in a position as an outsider amongst this group of elites that begs the question of why she received an invite. The invitation, specifically, came from the woman paying for it all, Anne Bullmer (Lisa Loven Kongsli). Only when Anne pulls Laura aside do the red flags truly begin to rise as what will lead to tensions continue to elevate and therefore putting Laura in danger.
Films like these rely mightily on their twists and turns to drive home the entertainment, given the compromising positions it puts its characters in to navigate. With Laura, we have a lead character, who not only stands out, but also continues to push to receive answers on what she knew she witnessed and how nobody believes her. Even as audience members, the tendency to begin to doubt Laura grows given the lack of evidence to point towards her assertion carrying truth. If there’s one thing we know for sure, it’s that the shoe will drop and eventually Laura will uncover something truly nefarious.
As the truth comes out, which I will not reveal here and now for obvious reasons, it did not necessarily take my by surprise, mostly because my wife guessed what it would be from the onset and got it right. She tends to often get it right with these types of films, which unfortunately did take some of the surprise element away, but this film still delivers it in a dramatic way befitting its genre. Some elements have it lacking believability in its execution but, once again, this film knows exactly the genre it’s operating within.
Besides the general paranoia Laura feels as she experiences this dangerous situation, the setting plays such a large part in driving home that effect. Being on this yacht affords more room to move about the cabin than standard boats but at the end of the day a level of confinement remains. Becoming a foe to the people paying for all of this leaves no allies aboard, as the friends know where their bread is buttered, as do the dozen of staff members. This, alone, creates much of the tension emanating throughout this film. Help from objective individuals will take a while to arrive, and even they can be bought off at the right price. This puts Laura in a place where she cannot trust anyone, especially when they all refuse to believe her perspective in addition to the information she ascertains in different portions of the film.
Nothing that really stands out within its genre, The Woman in Cabin 10 does succeed in providing baseline entertainment. The mystery at the center provides a satisfying conclusion and while we can certainly nitpick details in how this could all logistically happen, but then we would miss out on appreciating the very silly but satisfying conclusion that ultimately defines why we would want to watch a film with a title such as this one. Keira Knightley turns in good work as she usually does and we have Guy Pearce playing this type of role to perfection that fully brings home the entertainment.
Films with Josh 
