The Woman in Cabin 10

Directed by Simon Stone, The Woman in Cabin 10 follows a reporter (Keira Knightley’s Laura Blacklock) as she stumbles on a mystery while on board a billionaire’s (Guy Pearce’s Richard Bullmer) yacht. Filmmaker Stone, armed with his and Joe Shrapnel and Anna Waterhouse’s screenplay, delivers a familiar yet perpetually watchable thriller that benefits from its brisk pace and appealing lead performance, as, in terms of the latter, Knightley offers up a compelling turn that goes a long way towards sustain the viewer’s interest even through the picture’s few lulls. (And it doesn’t hurt, certainly, that the actress has been surrounded with such affable periphery players as Hannah Waddingham, David Ajala, and Kaya Scodelario.) And while the 95-minute running time admittedly does ensure that certain stretches feel somewhat rushed, with this particularly true of a breakneck third act, The Woman in Cabin 10 generally comes off as a solid adaptation that packs its fair share of agreeable twists and turns.

*** out of ****