Netflix just added a twisty psychological thriller starring Michael Douglas – and it’s better than ‘The Woman from Cabin 10’
Netflix kicked off the weekend with plenty of new streaming options, but today (Saturday, October 18, 2025) the platform added just one new film to its catalog: 2001’s “Don’t Say a Word.” And while it’s by no means a movie with a capital “C,” it satisfied my craving for a good mystery after the disappointment of Netflix’s last hit, “The Woman in Cabin 10.”
Now that it’s in Netflix’s top 10, it makes for a nice palate cleanser if, like me, you thought Keira Knightley’s new mystery thriller never quite got its sea legs. “Don’t Say a Word” has an all-star cast and twisty narrative that kept me invested until the credits rolled, even if I’m not looking forward to watching it again anytime soon.
What is “Don’t Say a Word” about?
Released in 2001, “Don’t Say a Word” stars Michael Douglas as psychiatrist Nathan Conrad, whose world is turned upside down after he begins treating a mentally ill young woman named Elisabeth (Brittany Murphy). A thief played by Sean Bean kidnaps his daughter, demanding that he extract information from Elisabeth about a stolen gemstone.
There’s only one problem: Elisabeth hasn’t spoken in 10 years. As he struggles to communicate through his delusions and extract a code from his memory, it becomes a race against time. Meanwhile, his daughter tries to outwit her captors and a related investigation sends a detective on a collision course with all the chaos. Guy Torry, Jennifer Esposito, Famke Janssen, Skye McCole Bartusiak and Oliver Platt round out the rest of the cast.
Should you stream “Don’t Say a Word” on Netflix?
Given its 23% critics score on Rotten Tomatoes (and a slightly less crappy 49% audience score), I was surprised that I enjoyed “Don’t Say a Word” as much as I did. It’s a perfectly successful psychological thriller. Nothing groundbreaking, but enjoyable, although it’s certainly the kind of movie that makes more sense the more you think about it.
A solid pace and lead performances all around manage to build enough momentum to hold your attention. One thing is certain, I came away more satisfied than “The Woman in Cabin 10”. Reviews were lukewarm on “Don’t Say a Word” when it was first released theatrically in 2001, but it managed to gross $100 million worldwide on a budget of just $50 million.
Jane Crowther of the BBC described it as a film with “few surprises”, but with “a clever script and excellent casting that elevate a pedestrian premise to satisfying thriller status”. Meanwhile, Slate called it “a big, noisy mess, with a screamer at its center”, and the Washington Post said it was “every bit as predictable, hackneyed and unappetizing as its premise suggests”.
So should you stream “Don’t Say a Word” now that it’s on Netflix? I would say yes if you are looking to get lost in a mystery for a few hours. Just be sure to keep your expectations in check.
Flow “Don’t Say a Word” on Netflix NOW.
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