First Look
First Look: The Woman in Cabin 10
The concept of “gaslighting”, manipulating someone into doubting their own reality, has become one of the defining tropes of modern crime drama. From Hitchcock’s moniker-creating Gaslight through to today’s psychological thrillers, it’s a plot device that continues to unsettle. It makes us question whether we can trust our own judgement – and the people around us.
Netflix’s new film adaptation of Ruth Ware’s bestseller The Woman in Cabin 10 puts gaslighting right at its core. A luxury voyage, a missing woman and a witness no one believes: it is a story where glamour and paranoia sit side by side on deck…
Who’s adapted The Woman in Cabin 10?
The upcoming film is directed by Simon Stone, who has a reputation for brilliant book adaptations on both stage and screen, including John Preston’s The Dig, starring Carey Mulligan, in 2021.
The script comes from Joe Shrapnel and Anna Waterhouse, who previously worked together on projects including Seberg and The Aftermath. Production began under Netflix in 2024, with author Ruth Ware closely involved throughout the process – which is always a promising sign for fans of the source material.
What’s the plot?
Keira Knightley takes the lead as Laura ‘Lo’ Blacklock, a travel journalist sent to cover the maiden voyage of a sleek new luxury yacht. It is meant to be the assignment of her dreams, complete with lavish cabins, glittering guests and picture-postcard views. But one night, Lo thinks she witnesses a passenger being thrown overboard.
She raises the alarm, but the captain says every guest is accounted for. As she searches for answers, she faces increasing resistance, her sanity being questioned at every turn. What follows is a battle of perception in which every forced smile and closed door conceals a possible threat.
The original novel is considered a heavy-hitter in the recent wave of psychological suspense novels, and a stand-out example of a ‘locked-room mystery’ – but this time, at sea.
“It’s a kind of trapped-in-a-bunker thriller, but it happens to be the most luxurious bunker in the world,” director Stone recently told People magazine.
Cast: Who’s aboard?
Knightley is joined by a formidable cast of shipmates. Hollywood player Guy Pearce (Memento, The Brutalist) plays Richard Bullmer, the wealthy businessman behind the voyage. Art Malik (True Lies) brings gravitas to the passenger list, while The Morning Show’s Gugu Mbatha-Raw adds a touch of elegance and intrigue. The always excellent Kaya Scodelario plays Grace, one of the yacht’s most mysterious figures. Meanwhile, her The Gentlemen co-star Daniel Ings is also on board as Adam Badrawy.
The Emmy-winning Hannah Waddingham plays Heidi, a fellow passenger with her own secrets, while crime drama royalty David Morrissey appears as Thomas Heatherley. Vera’s Paul Kaye rounds out the ensemble as Danny Tyler.
What are people involved saying about it?
Author Ruth Ware has pointed out that the theme of disbelief is what gives her story its bite. “The fear of not being believed is perennial, unfortunately,” she said in a recent interview. “Cabin 10, at its heart, is about a woman who experiences something wrong, reports it truthfully, and isn’t taken seriously because of who she is. Too many people know what that feels like and I think we want vindication for ourselves as much as Lo.”
The man behind the camera, Simon Stone, has been equally clear about what drew him to the adaptation. “What’s exciting to me about Cabin 10 is that the story is a thriller but also an exploration of perception and truth,” he said. “Keira brings an intensity to Lo that is about survival as much as suspense.”
What we can all expect
This isn’t set to be a thriller built on car chases, gunfights or explosions. Instead, it looks likely to take its cues from the rich tradition of female-led psychological thrillers. From the trailer, the yacht looks like it might almost be a character in itself, all steel, glass and closed doors, amplifying Lo’s sense of confinement and isolation.
Knightley’s performance promises to capture both vulnerability and determination, while the supporting cast provides more than enough star quality to make this a gripping drama. Viewers can expect atmosphere, suspicion and an ending designed to keep people talking.
For fans of Ruth Ware’s novel, and for anyone who enjoys their thrillers tense but glamorous, The Woman in Cabin 10 looks set to be essential viewing.
When and where to watch it
The Woman in Cabin 10 will be hitting Netflix across the world on 10th October 2025. The finished movie runs at just 92 minutes, a tight framework that should hopefully preserve the taut pacing of the novel.
Unlike some of Netflix’s recent book-to-screen thrillers, such as The Thursday Murder Club, the film will be a streaming-only release, rather than a hybrid cinema launch, meaning the only way you’ll be able to catch The Woman in Cabin 10 is if you’re a Netflix subscriber.
Will you be tuning in to watch The Woman in Cabin 10? Let us know in the comments below…
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