When a tragic incident leaves you traumatised, you may begin to second guess yourself at nearly every turn at other unrelated events even when this may not be! Such was the ordeal of Laura Blacklock, an award winning journalist.

SYNOPSIS: (MAY contain spoilers) 

Laura ‘Lo’ Blacklock (portrayed by Keira Knightley) is invited aboard a posh yacht to cover a charity event wherein a group of socialites, celebrities and billionaires are hosted by Richard Bullmer (played by Guy Pearce) conveying them to an island to celebrate his wife Anne Bullmer (depicted by Lisa Loven Kongsli).

Terminally ill Anne, diagnosed with cancer is to make a donation to the Lyngstad Foundation. However, few days prior, Lo claims that one of the passengers in cabin 10 has gone missing but no one believes her.

Is she losing her mind? Are the rest of the passengers hiding something? Well, best to find out yourself!

MY TAKE:
Straight up I figured out what was actually happening having watched several psychological thrillers of this nature like “EXTERRITORIAL” but nothing prepared me for the twist in this one. That was clever!

The start of the film is not particularly captivating as it pans out a bit slowly. But few minutes in, Keira in her elements manages to put up a compelling performance so much so that she carries the movie, holds your attention as it becomes engaging later.

Ben (played by David Ajala), an old flame of Lo’s adds extra weight to the plot as he gave an equally stellar interpretation to his role. Loved it! Wanted more of him even!

Directed by Simon Stone, based on the novel by Ruth Ware, this mystery drama with a runtime of 1hour 32minutes centres on the selflessness of the journalist Lo whose passion and drive for humanity puts her life on the line to uncover a sinister story.

Set almost entirely on an actual yacht worth about $150 million, the film is both largely suspenseful and intriguing. The approach to storytelling is simple and straightforward which makes it easy to follow.

OBSERVATION:
Although there are eye roll moments in about two occasions where Lo is plunged into water and how those scenes are quickly rushed over without desired details, the cinematography however works well. Yet, I can’t seem to understand how Lo was able to cross over in the pen ultimate scene. One minute she’s in a makeshift room on an island (so nobody saw her in what is expected to be a state of art setup), next she’s back together with the rest. And I’m there thinking “from where to where?”

CONCLUSION:
This was nevertheless an interesting watch. I felt like giving those senior-citizen-couple a piece of my mind for their arrogance. Ben won my heart for how calm he was and the role he played. Bless him! This comes recommended.

VERDICT: 7/10