Keira Knightley Is Loving Her Thriller Era
Keira Knightley is firmly in her pulpy, pacy thriller era. After holding the British government to account as an Iraq War whistleblower in Official Secrets, hunting down a ’60s serial killer in Boston Strangler, and leaping into the part of Black Doves’ lethal Helen Webb with guns blazing, the 40-year-old, twice-Oscar-nominated Londoner is throwing herself into another no-holds-barred, edge-of-your-seat crowdpleaser: The Woman in Cabin 10, Simon Stone’s breathless Netflix adaptation of Ruth Ware’s 2016 bestseller.
An atmospheric hair-raiser set on a chilly super yacht, it casts our heroine as the no-nonsense Laura “Lo” Blacklock, a dogged journalist dispatched to report on some frosty billionaires. One night, in the middle of the inky black sea, Lo hears a commotion in the cabin next door, and is convinced she sees someone being tossed into the water. Her malevolent hosts, though—played gleefully by everyone from Guy Pearce and Hannah Waddingham to Daniel Ings and Kaya Scodelario—try to convince her that it’s all in her head.
From that point onwards, Knightley tells me, Lo is “a dog with a bone—and she won’t let it go.” Cue nifty detective work, endless gaslighting, a murder attempt via swimming pool, and an anxiety-inducing denouement.
Speaking on Zoom—fresh-faced, with her enviable side-parted bob perfectly in place and wearing a delicate white Valentino shirt with a lace collar—Knightley is great company: candid, self-deprecating, and ebullient, someone who’s quick to laugh and kicks up her heels to show me her glittering shin-length gold boots on camera. “They’re extraordinary,” she gushes. “I’m all-in on this outfit.”
Below, ahead of the film’s release on October 10, the aughts-period-drama queen discusses her love of “silly and crazy” red carpet fashion, her and Ben Whishaw’s hopes for Black Doves Season 2, the forthcoming Bend It Like Beckham sequel, and her new children’s book, inspired by life with her two young daughters.
Vogue: Thinking about Official Secrets, Boston Strangler, Black Doves, and now The Woman in Cabin 10, you’ve played a string of characters who are looking to find and expose the truth. What’s drawn you to these sorts of projects?
Keira Knightley: It’s the entertainment factor. I’ve always liked a Miss Marple story, and I’m trying to do that in a more modern, slightly edgier way. This film reminded me of those ’70s thrillers, like The Parallax View or The Conversation—and they normally have these very cool, louche, ’70s male stars. I had that in the back of my mind. It’s my opportunity to do that.
Lo does have that tough, kind of eye-rolling, sardonic vibe.
I liked her certainty. It’s very rare to play characters who are that certain. She made me feel quite powerful, even though she’s having a horrible time throughout the entire film [laughs].
You also have a great ensemble on this super yacht, from Guy Pearce to Hannah Waddingham, who all get to be very evil. I had visions of you all partying on that boat once the cameras stopped rolling. Did that ever happen?
They’re all the nicest people and they relished getting to be so horrible [laughs]. And honestly, I had visions of that too—I thought surely we’d get to have Champagne and kick back. But we weren’t actually allowed to touch anything, sit on any of the furniture, or stand on the carpets. That yacht would be really comfortable for 12 guests, but with a 70-person film crew and 20 cast members, it was a lot of being crammed into tiny spaces. It wasn’t quite the luxurious experience that I’d envisioned.
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