Netflix’s new thriller, The Woman in Cabin 10, is not having the debut the streamer might have hoped for. Based on the bestselling novel of the same name by Ruth Ware and directed by Simon Stone (The Dig), the whodunit follows journalist Laura “Lo” Blacklock (Keira Knightley), who is invited to cover a charity venture onboard a luxury yacht.

However, things take a dark turn when Laura witnesses a woman being thrown overboard, but her account is not believed by the boat’s guests and crew when everyone is accounted for. Laura sets out to prove the truth, uncovering a conspiracy. The Woman in Cabin 10 also stars Guy Pearce, Hannah Waddingham, Gugu Mbatha-Raw, and David Ajala.

This seemed to be an extremely promising new murder mystery for Netflix. However, The Woman in Cabin 10 has now debuted with a 14% critics’ score on Rotten Tomatoes, based on 14 reviews as of the morning of October 10. This makes the thriller one of the lowest-rated titles of Knightley’s career, coming in above only Silk, and Collateral Beauty, tying with Berlin, I Love You.

On the other hand, The Woman in Cabin 10 earned a glowing review from the book’s author. Ware stated that the movie was “surreal” and an “out-of-body experience,” praising Knightley’s performance as “perfect,” portraying the main character’s “slightly vulnerable, but fundamentally incredibly tough, dogged, driven persona.” Most agree that Knightley is excellent as always, but other elements are lacking.

Mae Abdulbaki also had some more positive things to say in ScreenRant‘s own review for The Woman in Cabin 10, stating that “the film mostly and successfully pulls off an intriguing psychological mystery that gets right to the point, leaving the frills behind to tell a tense and engaging story,” giving it a 7 out of 10.

The Woman in Cabin 10 could still be a success on Netflix in the coming days, where many critically misunderstood movies find new life or see strong debuts despite less-than-favorable reviews. There are some things to enjoy about it — the A-list performance, the sleek and sinister atmosphere, and, as Abdulbaki also says, the film being “hopeful despite the terrible things that happen.“

Knightley’s name is a huge draw for the new mystery, especially after her brilliant performance in the hit Netflix thriller series Black Doves, which debuted in December 2024 to strong reviews. Black Doves season 2 is confirmed to be coming to Netflix at an unknown time, with the Pirates of the Caribbean and Pride & Prejudice star reportedly reprising her role.

In short, The Woman in Cabin 10 is even less likely to become Netflix’s big Knives Out replacement than The Thursday Murder Club, which also had a better debut in August. The new thriller has some interesting points to make, well-delivered by actors who have proven to stand out in even the worst projects; fans of the book will hopefully be as pleased as its author.