Netflix’s The Woman in Cabin 10 is a gripping psychological thriller that plunges its audience into the murky waters of deception, identity, and power. Starring Keira Knightley as Laura “Lo” Blacklock, the film is an adaptation of Ruth Ware’s bestselling novel, reimagined with a moody, Hitchcockian flair and an emphasis on moral ambiguity.
The movie’s elegant yet claustrophobic setting—a luxury cruise ship owned by a billionaire couple—becomes both a sanctuary and a prison as Laura’s sense of reality unravels.
The Woman in Cabin 10 Plot
Laura Blacklock, a seasoned journalist known for her unflinching honesty, is invited to join an exclusive maiden voyage of the Aurora Borealis, a lavish cruise ship owned by billionaire couple Richard and Anne Bullmer. The trip is framed as an opportunity for the elite to celebrate the Bullmers’ new philanthropic foundation—one that aims to donate millions to cancer research. For Laura, the assignment is both a career milestone and a much-needed escape from her stressful life. But beneath the opulence of the voyage lies a sinister truth waiting to surface.
Upon boarding, Laura finds herself surrounded by powerful figures—socialites, investors, and media personalities—each with their own agenda. Among them is Ben Morgan, a renowned photographer and Laura’s ex-lover, whose presence stirs buried emotions. To avoid an awkward encounter with him, Laura ducks into Cabin 10, where she meets a mysterious young woman—a blonde passenger who appears nervous and secretive. Their brief interaction seems insignificant at first, but it becomes the key to the unfolding mystery.
That night, Laura is jolted awake by a scream and the unmistakable sound of a body hitting the water. Rushing to her balcony, she witnesses the woman from Cabin 10 fall into the dark sea below. She immediately reports what she saw, but when the ship’s crew conducts a headcount, no one is missing. Even more unsettling, Laura is told that Cabin 10 was never occupied. Her credibility is questioned, and whispers spread that she may be delusional or suffering from exhaustion.
Refusing to be dismissed, Laura begins investigating on her own. She uncovers fragments of evidence—a bloody towel, a missing earring, inconsistencies in the ship’s logs—that confirm her suspicions. But every time she gets close to the truth, someone intervenes to stop her. The tension escalates when she encounters the same woman she believed to be dead, only for the woman to reveal a shocking truth: she is Anne Bullmer herself, the billionaire’s terminally ill wife.
Is Ben Dead? What was in the Syringe?
Anne’s illness has left her frail, but her mind remains sharp. She confides in Laura that her husband, Richard, has been growing increasingly controlling. When Anne revealed her plan to leave her entire fortune to cancer research rather than to him, Richard panicked.
Desperate to preserve his wealth and reputation, he conspired to replace her with a lookalike—Carrie, a young woman bearing a striking resemblance to Anne. Carrie, a struggling single mother, was manipulated into participating in the deception with promises of financial security for her daughter.
The plan went horribly wrong when Anne discovered Richard’s scheme. During a confrontation, Richard injured her and threw her overboard, staging her death as an accident. He then presented Carrie as Anne to the ship’s guests, counting on the isolated setting and the crew’s loyalty to maintain the illusion. However, Laura’s unexpected presence and sharp instincts threatened to expose everything.
When Laura refuses to stay quiet, Richard’s men—Dr. Robert and Captain Addis are ordered to contain her. She is imprisoned in a locked cabin, left with little hope of escape. Meanwhile, Ben, growing suspicious of Laura’s disappearance, begins his own investigation.
His search leads him to her prison cell, but just as he frees her, Robert attacks. In the ensuing struggle, Ben is fatally injected with a syringe of poison meant for Laura. His death is both brutal and heartbreaking, fueling Laura’s determination to survive and bring the truth to light.
Is Richard Dead? What Happens to Anne’s Money?
Laura manages to escape by jumping into the freezing ocean, narrowly surviving the fall. She washes ashore and makes her way to Richard’s mansion, where a celebration is underway to mark the “success” of his foundation. There, she finds Sigrid, the head of security, and convinces her to listen. Laura presents video footage and a pre-recorded message from the real Anne, confirming her charitable intentions and contradicting Richard’s forged will.
During the party, Laura publicly reads Anne’s true statement, exposing Richard’s deceit. When he tries to silence her, Carrie steps forward—pretending to be Anne one final time—and denounces him. Cornered and desperate, Richard grabs Carrie and attempts to flee, but Sigrid intervenes.
A violent struggle follows, culminating in Richard being fatally struck during a confrontation on the docks. His death brings an abrupt end to the conspiracy that had claimed so many lives.
Carrie, though deeply traumatised, is finally free. The authorities seize Richard’s estate and prosecute his accomplices. Anne’s original will is honoured, and her entire fortune goes to the cancer foundation she envisioned. Carrie returns to her daughter, sending Laura a message later confirming that they are safe and trying to rebuild their lives.
Laura’s Redemption and Legacy
Laura’s survival and determination to expose the truth cement her as a journalist of rare integrity. Her article about the Aurora Borealis scandal becomes both a tribute to Anne’s selflessness and a critique of the corruption that festers among the powerful.
She ensures that the story focuses not on the violence, but on Anne’s humanity and her commitment to helping others—a final act of journalistic empathy that brings the narrative full circle.
Though haunted by Ben’s death and the horrors she witnessed, Laura emerges transformed.
Her experience aboard the ship forces her to confront her own fears, guilt, and cynicism. In the end, she learns that truth, however painful, is worth pursuing—and that even in the darkest waters, light can surface if one dares to look closely enough.
Themes and Interpretation
At its core, The Woman in Cabin 10 explores the fragility of perception, the corruption of wealth, and the cost of moral conviction. It blurs the line between truth and illusion, using the cruise ship’s confined setting as a metaphor for isolation and paranoia. Keira Knightley’s portrayal of Laura brings emotional depth to the story, balancing strength and vulnerability in equal measure.
Director Susanne Bier (known for The Night Manager and Bird Box) infuses the film with elegant tension—mirroring the polished but deceptive world of the ultra-rich. The cinematography lingers on cold blues and metallic tones, turning the ship itself into a character: a silent witness to greed, guilt, and redemption.
Netflix’s The Woman in Cabin 10 delivers a stylish, emotionally charged mystery anchored by Knightley’s riveting performance. It’s more than just a thriller—it’s a story about identity, sacrifice, and the lengths people will go to protect their version of the truth.
With its intricate plotting, layered characters, and moral complexity, it stands as one of the platform’s strongest psychological dramas of recent years—an elegant reminder that sometimes, the most dangerous waters are not beneath us, but within.
