Keira Knightley is back in a new 
Netflix mystery thriller following the success of her action series Black Doves. However, The Woman In Cabin 10 has been in choppy waters with both its critic and audience reviews, but it has still debuted at the top of the streamer’s global chart. The new mystery thriller is exactly the kind of movie that attracts plenty of attention when dropping on Netflix, and whether it is through on-screen banner ads or some direct marketing, the film has made a strong start to its streaming life.
The Woman in Cabin 10 is based on the novel by New York Times bestselling author Ruth Ware, but for many people it does not live up to the source material at all. The plot of the movie goes a little like this:
“While on board a luxury yacht for a travel assignment, a journalist witnesses a passenger thrown overboard late at night, only to be told that it didn’t happen, as all passengers and crew are accounted for. Despite no one believing her, she continues to look for answers, putting her own life in danger.”
The story sounds like something very familiar, and even though the book has been described as “unputdownable,” the movie adaptation, which clocks in at a lean 92 minutes, has been mostly tagged with phrases like, “absolute tosh,” “an unbelievable mess,” and “predictable girl-boss ending nonsense.” This has resulted in a 27% score from critics on Rotten Tomatoes, and 33% from audiences. While many have praised the cast, which includes Knightley, Guy Pearce, Art Malik, and Hannah Waddingham, there are plenty of others who just want to know “what huge bills did they have to pay off to want to star in this movie?”
Yet, it is hard to argue with figures, and as far as viewership is concerned, The Woman in Cabin 10 seems to be doing everything right, having taken over the top of the Netflix chart and pushing aside the likes of Kpop Demon Hunters, Brazilian movie Caramelo, and Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire, which recently returned to the chart.
‘The Woman in Cabin 10’ Is Another “Bad” Netflix Hit
While Apple TV+ is the streamer who has a reputation for delivering a relatively small number of almost perfect TV shows and movies, Netflix is quickly finding itself as the yang to their ying. Whether it is canceling new shows after just one season, or acquiring non-English language movies that instantly climb the movie charts but post horrendous reviews, Netflix has created a strange paradox where some of its most successful releases are just not that good, but everyone wants to watch them.
The Woman in Cabin 10 seems to be yet another forgettable addition to the Netflix library, but these days, streaming charts can be driven by much more than a movie just being good. A big banner promising a mystery thriller with the capable Knightley and Pearce leading, it is clearly more than enough to entice viewers in, even if they clearly don’t like what they see less than two hours later.
The Woman in Cabin 10 is streaming now on Netflix.