Verity (2026) – Review and Summary

Colleen Hoover continues to be one of the best writers to pull from for book adaptations, even if there is always something slightly imperfect with the story.

ByAmari Allah Hours Posted on

[Unless Said Otherwise] Spoiler Alert: This summary and review contains spoilers.

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“Verity” Film Details

  • Director(s): Michael Showalter
  • Writer(s): Nick Antosca
  • Based On Work By: Colleen Hoover
  • Runtime: 1 Hour(s) and 57 Minutes
  • Public Release Date (In Theaters): October 1, 2026
  • Genre(s): Drama, Mystery, Thriller
  • Content Rating: Rated R
  • Primary Language: English
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Movie Summary

Lowen is a published, but far from famous writer who finds herself the top choice to ghostwrite for renowned author Verity Crawford. She is chosen because their styles are similar, in terms of being dark in tone and twisty dramas.

But things get complicated as Lowen learns why Verity needs a ghostwriter, as she stays in Verity’s rural Vermont home with Verity’s husband, Jeremy, and their son. One discovery after another, as Lowen goes through Verity’s notes, discovers flash drives and more, leads Lowen to question who Verity is, what her relationship with her family is truly like, and whether the persona she has online and on TV is a façade or the real deal.

Cast and Characters

Lowen (Dakota Johnson)

  • Character Summary: Lowen is an author, with two published books, but no real notoriety. In fact, while she might be able to claim being published, her money is looking funny. Which is why, while the opportunity to be a ghostwriter isn’t ideal, timing wise, it couldn’t be better.

Verity (Anne Hathaway)

  • Character Summary: Verity is an accomplished author with a hit franchise of multiple books, and her claim to fame is writing her books from the villain’s perspective. Yet, despite how heinous her villains are, she comes off sweet and charming in interviews, to the point of it being perplexing to many she wrote the twisted tales she has.

Jeremy (Josh Hartnett)

  • Character Summary: Jeremy is Verity’s husband who, due to him traveling for work, was the catalyst for her writing career. However, as loving of a husband as he appears, like any marriage, there are some imperfections once the cameras are gone and their door is closed to outsiders.

Anna (Irina Dvorovenko)

  • Character Summary: Anna is Verity’s nurse who also sometimes helps with watching Verity and Jeremy’s son.

Review and Commentary

Highlight(s)

Anne Hathaway as Verity [84/100]

Anne Hathaway is the biggest asset of Verity, and at times it can feel like she is underused. As Verity, she brings a femme fatale vibe, and throughout the flashbacks, she becomes the best thing about the movie. This isn’t to say Johnson or Hartnett don’t add value, but I would submit that they are reacting to what she does, and their performances are informed by the last time Hathaway engaged with them.

For example, in the trailer you saw Lowen increasingly fear Verity is not catatonic but is mobile. Her fearing what Verity is aware of, what she may have done before her accident, and trying to investigate if she is faking her catatonic state is what makes the movie interesting. Lowen and Jeremy’s interactions without Verity? It doesn’t drive the same engagement.

And what really is going to keep you taking note of every little thing is the uncertainty of whether Verity is a liar or not. Now, as noted below, does the writing of the film drive this home? No. However, Hathaway pushes the writing as far as she can as an actress to legitimately make you wonder if Verity is truly as disturbed as painted, or was simply a woman who had a lot of time on her hands, a wild imagination, and was lucky enough to catch the eye of a major publisher?

On The Fence

The Erotic Aspect Is Not Where It Needs To Be [73/100]

Many times in Verity, there are attempts to be sexy, but even when nudity is involved, things don’t get where they need to be. You don’t get the sense that the moment is hot, kinky, or that Jeremy is top-tier. It never feels like you’re watching two people who are heavily into one another, making passionate love, and it gets to the point where you feel like a voyeur.

And I mean this for both Hathaway and Johnson, but especially Johnson. Whether solo or with Hartnett, intimate scenes feel like they are played up for the camera rather than giving you any sense that you’re some kind of pervert watching two people that have real chemistry being intimate.

The Twist & Turns Towards The End Likely Have Been Done Better [72/100]

Verity is the type of film which has a wonderful beginning and middle, and then it doesn’t necessarily fall apart towards the ending, but the ending can feel rushed and not as impactful. Hathaway is able to handle your questioning of Verity’s true personality, what her relationship with Jeremy and her children was really like, but the truth? It can be said she hits her limits, and unfortunately, as talented as Nick Antosca and Colleen Hoover are, they don’t write a twist that is jaw-dropping and will push you to want to rewatch the movie to see things you may have missed.

If you’ve watched movies similar to Verity, not only could you predict the ending and be disappointed by how it plays out, but you will also find yourself questioning certain aspects that may not make sense. The biggest one being Anna’s role in all this, as she, as Verity’s nurse, has one of the few perspectives that go unaccounted for. Which makes the ending all the more eyebrow-raising.

Overall

Our Rating (76/100): Mixed (Divisive)

The reason to watch Verity is Anne Hathaway. She pushes the idea that she, like many veteran actresses, needs and deserves a femme fatale type role in a quality noir. For while Verity gives a tease, unfortunately, the writing is geared far more towards entertainment, as its depiction of eroticism shows, than creating something undeniably compelling to the point it could join the ranks of Gone Girl amongst other classics.

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Amari is the founder and head writer of Wherever-I-Look.com and has been reviewing media since 2010. He approaches each production with hope, rooting for every story to succeed, and believes criticism should come from unmet potential, while praise is reserved for work that meets or exceeds expectations.