In the interest of full disclosure, I like my shipboard murder mysteries with an all-star cast and at least a soupçon of camp. That makes it hard to top the high-water mark of the 1978 Death on the Nile, with the delicious feast of Bette Davis and Maggie Smith swapping acid-tongued barbs and Angela Lansbury in full dotty-eccentric glory; or 1973’s The Last of Sheila, written by Anthony Perkins and Stephen Sondheim, no less, and featuring the incomparable Dyan Cannon as a stand-in for brash ‘70s Hollywood superagent Sue Mengers. By contrast, Netflix’s The Woman in Cabin 10 takes itself very seriously.

That might not necessarily be a bad thing for readers who loved Ruth Ware’s 2016 mystery novel. But Australian theater and film director Simon Stone’s blandly glossy, capably acted adaptation, co-written with Joe Shrapnel and Anna Waterhouse, is mostly a pedestrian affair that waits until the denouement to crank up the suspense and show some teeth.

Keira Knightley plays Laura “Lo” Blackwood, a respected London investigative journalist traumatized by the killing of a woman who agreed to speak with her for an exposé of NGO embezzlement. While her editor, Rowan (Gugu Mbatha-Raw, wasted in a nothing role), doubts there’s much of a story in it, she agrees to send Lo on the maiden voyage of the Aurora Borealis, a “fuck-off big yacht” owned by Richard Bullmer (Guy Pearce).

The husband of Anne Lyngstad (Lisa Loven Kongsli), a shipping heiress with stage four leukemia, Richard is taking the company’s well-heeled board members on a three-day cruise that will wind up in Norway with a fund-raising gala for the cancer foundation being established in Anne’s name. He wants Lo to come along and cover it to help raise awareness; she hopes the cushy assignment might restore her shaky faith in humanity.

But tension intrudes as soon as she boards the mega-yacht and starts sipping champagne amid the standard — though generally thin — character introductions. Lo and behold (sorry), her photo-reporter colleague Ben Morgan (David Ajala), with whom she had a romantic entanglement that unraveled badly, will be staying in the cabin directly opposite hers. Awkward.

Also on board is the doctor and longtime family associate treating Anne, Robert Mehta (Art Malik); cocky party boy Adam Sutherland (Daniel Ings); high-end art gallerist Dame Heidi Heatherley (Hannah Waddingham) and her pompous toff husband Thomas (David Morrissey); tech titan Lars Jensen (Christopher Rygh) and Grace (Kaya Scodelario), the influencer posing as his girlfriend for optics; plus assorted others. Most are either composites of or departures from the characters in Ware’s novel.

In lieu of “the movie star, the professor and Mary Ann” (if only), there’s recovering addict and guitar-strumming former music star Danny Tyler, played by Paul Kaye as the gone-to-seed love child of Johnny Depp in Pirates of the Caribbean and Gary Oldman in Slow Horses. Coarse and unfiltered, he’s allegedly a dear old chum of suave Richard’s, though the connection doesn’t compute.

There’s the threat of some bitchy, class-divide fun early on as Heidi looks down her nose at Lo, asking her husband, “Why is she in jeans? I feel like there was a dress code.” Lo then makes herself a target of snarky digs by overcompensating for her differences — she’s a Nicholas Kristof type, more comfortable embedding with oppressed Kurdish women — by throwing on a silver sequined number for a casual light supper. So gauche.

But the script has little interest in exploring any potential for incidental humor. Instead, intrigue is planted when Lo is summoned to meet Anne in her cabin the first night. Professing her admiration for Lo’s work “giving a voice to the voiceless,” the heiress reveals that she was the one to request the journo’s presence.

Admitting that her mind isn’t what it was since treatment, Anne asks Lo to look over her speech for the gala, outlining her decision to leave her entire fortune to charity and put the foundation in the hands of “smarter, kinder people.” “Charity without the ego,” coos Lo admiringly.

If you can’t guess the kind of dirty deeds that portends, you need to brush up on your Hercule Poirot. A key piece of casting alone is a tipoff, though the mystery is teased out as to exactly what happened and whether there was a crime at all. The script foregoes the usual pleasures of making almost everyone a suspect — even if more than one person might be in on it.

After an unintended encounter with a furtive woman (Gitte Witt) in cabin 10, the one next to Lo’s, the reporter hears a violent scuffle through the walls, followed by a splash. She rushes onto her balcony in time to glimpse what appears to be a body in the water and a bloody handprint on the wall. But the ship’s mayday alert is called off the next day when a head count reveals that nobody is missing and Lo is informed that cabin 10 was never occupied.

Despite increasingly menacing warnings to back off and stop prying into the lives of rich power players thorny about their privacy, Lo remains determined to get to the truth. This prompts hostility from fellow passengers dismissing her as a nut who imagined everything — even after she has a brush with death in the swimming pool.

Knightley plays all this with intensity, integrity and lots of lip-biting anxiety, making the movie absorbing enough as Lo gets puts through the gaslighting wringer in the glamorously claustrophobic setting. But only in the fraught final stretch, as they get closer to docking and then go ashore for the gala at a scenic coastal location, do other characters have anything vital to do.

Most notably, that includes Witt’s mystery woman and Richard’s head of security Sigrid (Danish actress Amanda Collin, who I spent a scene or two convinced was Sandra Hüller). Ajala and Malik’s characters also come into play in more strategic ways, though most of the assembled party is too colorless to make them all that compelling.

Like much original streaming fodder, The Woman in Cabin 10 will be perfectly adequate entertainment for multitasking viewers, though it’s a bit plodding, even at 90 minutes. Stone (who directed The Dig for Netflix) does a competent job connecting the dots, but where’s the sense of style of these rich folks? Or the décor flourishes of a squillion-dollar yacht that’s tasteful to a fault? We’ve seen better f**k-off boats and chic wardrobes on Succession.

Story: Set in the gritty underworld of 1940s Japan, this action-packed saga follows OG (Ojas Gambheera), the lone survivor of a brutal samurai gang war. He escapes to Mumbai with the visionary Satya Dada, where they set out to build a port. By the 1970s, Satya Dada (Prakash Raj) and Geetha (Sriya Reddy) are locked in conflict with the powerful Mirajkar family over the port and a mysterious container. A shocking incident forces Ojas into exile, creating a power vacuum and heightening tensions. Years later, as darkness looms over Mumbai, the question remains: will Ojas return to reclaim his legacy and protect his allies from the looming threat?Review:Pawan Kalyan commands the screen with charisma and intensity as OG. His action sequences combine martial arts, swordplay and gritty gunfights, bringing back memories of his performances in Johnny and Badri. Emraan Hashmi makes a strong impact as the menacing Omi, though his character could have used more depth. It still works as a promising debut in this space.Japanese actor Kazuki Kitamura’s brief but memorable cameo hints at bigger things ahead, keeping fans curious for the sequel. Sriya Reddy delivers a solid performance, while Priyanka Arul Mohan’s Kanmani feels underwritten. Prakash Raj, as Satya Dada, brings authority and intensity, especially in his dynamic with OG. Arjun Das too leaves an impression.Director Sujeeth leans heavily on star power, often at the cost of layered storytelling and character arcs. Several subplots are undercooked, and familiar tropes such as the wife’s murder and the daughter’s kidnapping feel formulaic. Thaman’s rousing soundtrack, however, injects energy into the action sequences.The film has its shortcomings in emotional depth and narrative finesse, but it still succeeds as a stylish action drama with flair.– Divya Shree

OG movie review is trending after the film’s overseas premiere on September 24, 2025. The Pawan Kalyan starrer, directed by Sujeeth, opened with early screenings in the United States before its global release on September 25. The Telugu action crime drama is backed by DVV Entertainment and stars Pawan Kalyan in a powerful gangster role.

Audiences abroad have shared first reactions on social media platforms like X, giving a glimpse of the film’s tone and pacing. These responses highlight both praise for action sequences and criticism for certain story elements. The mixed feedback is shaping initial discussions around one of the year’s most anticipated Telugu films.

OG Movie Review: What Early Reactions Reveal

Set in the 1990s, OG follows Ojas Gambheera, a gangster returning to Bombay after a decade to confront his old rival Omi Bhau. The film features Emraan Hashmi, Priyanka Arul Mohan, Arjun Das, Sriya Reddy, and Prakash Raj in key roles. With music by Thaman S and visuals by Ravi K. Chandran and Manoj Paramahamsa, the film promises a cinematic experience with heavy action and period drama elements.

Overseas audiences who watched the premiere at 12:30 p.m. EST praised the large-scale action choreography. Action directors like Peter Hein, Dhilip Subbarayan, and Stunt Silva contributed to intense sequences. Viewers appreciated Pawan Kalyan’s screen presence, calling his performance “vintage power star.” Some fans, however, felt the screenplay slowed in the second half, with mixed opinions about the climax.

International reports note strong advance booking in the U.S., where pre-release sales outperformed Pawan Kalyan’s previous films. Trade trackers predict a significant opening weekend, though reviews suggest word-of-mouth will play a big role in long-term performance.

Global Buzz and Industry Impact

OG’s early reviews reveal how international audiences perceive Telugu cinema’s growing scale. Positive reactions highlight the film’s technical quality, particularly cinematography and sound design. Critics abroad noted the film’s attempt to blend gangster drama with mass action spectacle.

However, some responses flagged predictable plot elements and lengthy runtime as drawbacks. This may affect repeat viewership in overseas markets, where audiences often prefer tighter narratives. Despite this, the film has already generated strong buzz, ensuring high turnout for its worldwide release on September 25.

In summary, OG movie review reactions show Pawan Kalyan’s charisma continues to draw fans globally. While the action and style impressed many, story execution divided opinion. The coming days will decide how the film performs at the global box office.

FYI (keeping you in the loop)-