Investigative journalist Laura Blacklock (Keira Knightley) has just filed the copy for one of her most harrowing articles yet. Can she recharge with a simple human interest story that also involves spending three days on a luxury yacht? Not when she witnesses the woman in cabin 10 fall overboard only to be told there was never someone in cabin 10. 

Based on a 2016 novel by Ruth Ware, The Woman in Cabin 10 is the sort of murder mystery whodunnit that is supremely popular right now. This particular film intrigued me as it is co-written and directed by Simon Stone whose film The Dig I watched recently and found rather compelling. Could he deliver another film that on paper is a genre movie but holds deeper resonance for the viewer? Well, the short answer is no. But this film is still a worthy bit of fun to pass some time. 

Knightley’s lead character is thrown into a very Alfred Hitchcock style thriller that occasionally questions her rational thinking but mostly relies on her steely nature to keep everything together. The guests on board in the main are the obscenely rich. Billionaire Richard Bullmer (Guy Pearce) is using the trip to generate interest in a charity he is founding on behalf of his terminally ill wife Anne (Lisa Loven Kongsli). Their guests include Dr. Robert Mehta (Art Malik), rich couple Heidi and Thomas Heatherley (Hannah Waddingham and David Morrissey), rockstar Danny Tyler (Paul Kaye) and an array of other unlikeable characters. 

Did Blacklock really witness a murder? Are the stresses of her previous case impacting her state of mind? Who can she trust out of the array of narcissistic rich people who think she is delusional? 

Running at a brisk ninety-two minutes there is little time for you to ponder too long over which member of the cast might have nefarious motives with the film turning into a bit of a thrill ride rather than a pot boiler. 

The speed at which the film rattles along papers over a few of the cracks inherent in the ridiculous plot line and occasionally rather overblown performances. Knightley is however rather brilliant and makes everything eminently watchable. 

This flick will not stay long in the memory, but it is a good ride whilst you are onboard. Perhaps in the long run it will make you seek out some Hitchcock classics that this film would very much like to live up to but does not.