The Wasteland Reviewer

Verity (2026) Written Review

How would you feel sliding into the mind of another creative and attempting to capture their voice and imagination? Colleen Hoover is quite a popular writer and with a novel like Verity, she brings some meta-elements to the table as she explores the process of a writer. There are some dark and twisted characters that grace some of her stories (who have made the leap to the big screen) but Verity takes this to new and dark places. Dakota Johnson stars as Lowen Ashleigh who is a writer who struggles making an impact with her writing but after a horrific incident and a bold proposition, her life changes forever. Hired by Josh Hartnett’s Jeremy, Lowen is brought into the house, life, and writings of Verity Crawford (Anne Hathaway). No longer able to continue her acclaimed and beloved book series which are written from the perspective of dark and twisted villains, Verity’s writing is passed on to Lowen who soon finds out that her life is just are tragic and twisted as the books she writes.

How does director Michael Showalter translate Hoover’s book to the big screen? On the surface, you can already tell that Verity is the type of story that is melodramatic and leans into its erotic thriller vibes. But Showalter does a fine job of injecting bits of self-awareness that gives the experience a bit more fun. Verity works best when it is winking at the camera and leaning into its absurdity. There are moments that feel funny and over-the-top purposefully to deliver that effect. Now, the tone certainly is not consistent throughout and that leaves the audience in a weird space at times. The film opens with a seriously intense and shocking scene that seems to be setting up a brutal and heavy experience. Then you have a scene centered around Lowen fantasizing about Jeremy and Verity while pleasuring herself which is presented in the most absurd ridiculous way. Whiplash in the cinematic voice of the film certainly causes some problems. There are a few moments when Showalter musters up some serious intensity and thrills (including a single movement that will elicit a large reaction from the entire audience. The music composed by Academy Award winner Volker Bertalmann delivers on the tone with its intensity and power. Visually, this film is presented in a way that gives off high-budgeted “soap opera” types of vibes which is certainly intentional and honestly works well for the experience. Overall, the film moves well (for the most part) and takes the audience on for the ride.

Does the screenplay by Nick Antosca do justice to the experience that Hoover created with her novel? The writing for the film is one of the most uneven elements of the experience. The dialogue is consistently stiff and blunt at times, which makes the experience feel a bit artificial. The film makes it hard to fully connect with these characters since they are crafted in a way that makes them feel more like characters in a film and not people experiencing real turmoil. Thematically, the film is a darkly twisted commentary on truth and the manipulation thereof which allows the film to swing a bit and delivers some shocking revelations. There is just enough ambiguity in the proceedings that allows the audience to engage for themselves to figure out what is the truth of the film. Lowen would be such a hard protagonist to connect with if it weren’t for the absurd situations that she is placed in. As the film goes on, you realize quickly that she is quite manipulative herself as she gets in a chess match with Verity, who just so happens to be paralyzed and unresponsive. The film’s strength is not the depth of characters. To be honest, most of the character work is standard and underdeveloped. Where the film tries (and succeeds on a modest level) is getting the audience to explore themes of truth and some serious moral dilemmas.

How does the cast do with some shaky material to work with? The real standout is Hathaway. Now this might seem odd as Verity is unresponsive for most of the film but there is a key storytelling element that allows her to shine. Lowen reads a mysterious autobiography written by Verity which shows a twisted and disturbed sociopath. Hathaway chews every scene in these dramatizations of the autobiography with a campy and repulsive swagger. Johnson does a fine job, but she never has that much to work with (outside the opening sequence where she gets to show some horror and trauma). Hartnett is doing some good work and must portray a man balancing challenging and conflicting emotions. There is a scene or two where he breaks down and makes it feel genuine.

Does Verity deliver on its erotic-thriller promise? Not quite. Outside a graphic, campy sequence, Verity just lacks the sex appeal to deliver. When Showalter allows the film to lean into its campy and self-aware side, the film finds fun and engagement for the audience. The pacing is inconsistent and the writing is shaky but at least there are some big questions to ponder about truth and human manipulation.