Keira Knightley’s new Netflix movie is a flawed guilty pleasure watch.

Gather around friends because Keira Knightley has started a new genre of film: murder at sea.

The Netflix film The Woman in Cabin 10 is based on the best-selling 2016 psychological thriller novel by Ruth Ware. The film was helmed by Australian director Simon Stone, with the screenplay co-written by Simon Stone, Joe Shrapnel and Anna Waterhouse.

The plot centers on journalist Laura 'Lo' Blacklock, played by Knightley, who is aboard a luxury private yacht for an assignment. But oh no! Lo witnesses a passenger being thrown overboard from the neighboring room aka that dreaded Cabin 10.

When she reports the incident, the crew and ship's owner Richard, played by Guy Pearce, insist all cabins are accounted for and no one is missing. Convinced she saw a murder despite some intense gaslighting, Lo races against time to expose a sinister conspiracy involving the wealthy elite on board, putting her own life in jeopardy.

The ensemble cast includes Hannah Waddingham, David Ajala, Daniel Ings, Kaya Scodelario, Art Malik and Gugu Mbatha-Raw.

Watch the trailer. Post continues after video.

The film has copped a lot of negative reviews and I understand some of the criticism. There is a problem with the film's pacing, as it rushes through certain important storylines but stretches out others. But overall, I found the 95-minute run time was an encouraging step in the thriller genre, which is known for overstuffing a film with twists and turns that drag it over the two-hour mark.

The obligatory movie twist wasn't particularly surprising — in fact, you could likely spot it a mile away if you paid attention. The ending leaned heavily on melodramatics and my interest did wane a little bit, but it was so tightly rounded out in the space of mere minutes that I never had the chance to get bored.

The result was a film that felt like the ultimate guilty pleasure: a movie equivalent of a breezy beach read, something that can be watched before bed but leaves time for you to still doomscroll before bed for an extra hour.

Some of the all-star cast felt a little wasted. For one thing, Guy Pearce seemed equally confused about why he was in this movie as I was. The Oscar-nominee made easy work of playing a bratty billionaire heir, but I couldn't help but think that this villain character could have basically been played by any actor.

Then there was the bizarre appearance of Skins actress Kaya Scodelario, who was utterly underused in this movie. The British actress has proven in previous projects that she is capable of commanding performances, but she wasn't given enough material here — I suspect that, perhaps, some of her best scenes were cut.

Ted Lasso's Hannah Waddingham as Heidi, a gossipy Australian socialite wife, was a film highlight. While her scenes were quick, she packed a punch, was hilarious and the English actress pulled off our Australian accent with impressive ease. David Ajala and Daniel Ings were both perfectly cast in their roles of Lo's ex-boyfriend and an eccentric heir.

Image: Netflix.

But this was really Keira Knightley's film and she was every bit the movie star you'd expect. Knightley brought a layered performance to this thriller, injecting it with intensity and authenticity, and elevating every moment she was on screen.

The British actress is operating at her highest frequency in these kinds of gritty thrillers and I think she's truly found her groove in murder mysteries set on private yachts — especially when she's wearing exclusively oversized tailored shirts and wide-leg pants.

Not since she sailed the seven seas on the Black Pearl in Pirates of the Caribbean films has Knightley seemed so at home on a big boat. Keira's yachticide era is upon us — ayy, ayy, captain!

This is basically the darkest timeline for any episode of Below Deck.

For the most part, the essence of the book is replicated in the film, but there are a few notable differences.

Lo has a boyfriend named Judah in the novel but in the film she's a single pringle; in the book, she's a travel magazine writer and not a 'serious news journalist' at The Guardian like her on-screen persona; and the character of Lo is a bit more chaotic in the book, she's often mixing alcohol with medication which makes the reader — and Lo herself — question if her version of the events is reliable.

The ending is completely different, with the movie ramping up the drama and suspense, albeit both versions conclude with Carrie and Lo taking down Pearce's naughty Richard.

Image: Netflix.

While book loyalists might not enjoy some of the changes, they did tighten up the story and simplify the plot — so I understand why they were made.

As someone who read the book but doesn't have any big feelings about staying true to it, I had fun! This movie isn't trying to be anything more than what it is: a movie adaptation of a trashy novel about a murder on a yacht.

The film is already a global streaming hit, and I can see why.

Netflix thrillers have a blueprint: pick a bankable star and put them in truly ridiculous circumstances, like Leighton Meester in The Weekend Away or Brenda Song in Secret Obsession. Typically, these movies are fun, but ultimately, a little too untethered from reality for the viewer to invest in fully.

But like Netflix's Luckiest Girl Alive, another book adaptation this time starring Mila Kunis, Knightley's movie is a cut above. Sure, it's not the type of thriller to compete with the likes of Gone Girl or Eyes Wide Shut, but it still offers an enthralling story.

In the age of sequels and reboots, a unique and original story is increasingly hard to come by. And any movie that involves Keira Knightley being chased around a yacht by a billionaire in an array of tailored outfits is one worth watching.

The Woman in Cabin 10 is now streaming on Netflix.

Feature image: Netflix.