You don't expect luxury yachts to feel claustrophobic. Sunlit decks, white-gloved service, the illusion of freedom drifting on an endless horizon. Yet in Simon Stone's The Woman in Cabin 10, Netflix's new adaptation of Ruth Ware's bestselling novel, the ocean feels less like escape and more like entrapment. The trailer—sharp, unsettling, and tinted with that sleek prestige-thriller polish—makes it clear: paranoia thrives best when you're told not to believe your own eyes.
Keira Knightley steps into the role of Laura Blacklock, a travel journalist assigned to cover an exclusive cruise. One night, she witnesses a passenger thrown overboard. The problem? According to the crew, every guest is accounted for, and “Cabin 10” doesn't even exist. From there, the trailer spins its web—Knightley's growing desperation, the immaculate dining rooms concealing darker intentions, the careful gazes of fellow passengers played by Guy Pearce, David Ajala, Kaya Scodelario, Gugu Mbatha-Raw, David Morrissey, and Hannah Waddingham. Everyone's dressed in finery, but all it takes is one look to know: these people are not to be trusted.
Stone, who previously helmed The Daughter and The Dig, appears to favor controlled elegance over jump scares. The trailer leans on tight framing, faces framed against glass, and oceanic silence that quickly becomes suffocating. Knightley, long underrated for her sharpness in tense roles, looks well-positioned to anchor the paranoia. There's a touch of The Night Manager in its glossy production, but also echoes of Polanski's Frantic—the fear of being the only one who knows something terrible has happened.
Netflix isn't hiding its strategy either. A mid-October release date—October 10, 2025—signals confidence in The Woman in Cabin 10 as both a fall-season thriller and awards-adjacent play. The streamer has made a habit of pushing literary thrillers into global visibility, and with Ruth Ware's novel already a bestseller, the move feels both safe and smart. The marketing sells a mix of psychological suspense and old-fashioned whodunit glamour, with Knightley's star power giving it gravitas.
What lingers after the trailer isn't just the mystery—who was pushed, and why—but the way authority itself becomes complicit. Gaslighting, here, isn't just a trope; it's a weapon wielded by wealth and influence. When the crew insists nothing happened, when the passengers look at Laura with polite disbelief, the danger doubles. She's alone, surrounded, and the ocean is wide enough to bury any truth.
What to Remember About The Woman in Cabin 10
A Familiar Premise, Reframed
The core setup—someone witnessing a crime no one else acknowledges—feels classic, but Stone's visual style pushes it toward claustrophobic elegance rather than pulp.
Knightley at the Center
After years of period pieces and dramas, Knightley reminds us she can thrive in psychological thrillers, holding the frame with both vulnerability and suspicion.
A Cast of Suspects
From Guy Pearce to Gugu Mbatha-Raw, the ensemble exudes sleek menace, each face suggesting secrets behind the polite smiles.
Netflix's Fall Thriller Strategy
The October 10, 2025 release date places the film in prime streaming season, aiming to hook both casual viewers and awards-season chatter.
Gaslighting as Power Play
Beyond the murder mystery, the story doubles as a study in manipulation—how privilege and status can erase truth in plain sight.
Netflix will release The Woman in Cabin 10 worldwide on October 10, 2025.
What do you think—does this feel like a polished throwback to old-school mystery thrillers, or just another Netflix genre entry?
