Review | Verity (2026)

Verity is a taut, seductive thriller that weaves an intricate web of deceit before ultimately retreating into a paint-by-numbers formula that derails everything fresh it strives to be.

The romance-thriller genre has become something of a minefield lately. Some films are bold and seductive, while others are little more than abysmal box-ticking exercises. But when a filmmaker like Michael Showalter throws his hat into the ring, it deserves attention.

The director’s latest venture into darker territory is Verity, an adaptation of Colleen Hoover’s bestselling novel. With its sultry premise, tangled relationships, and multi-layered characters, the film looks tailor-made to become an instant genre classic. So, can Showalter hit the ground running and deliver the seductive thriller we’ve been waiting for? Or is Verity destined to become another disappointing misfire?

REVIEW

Unfortunately, despite an impressive opening act, Verity ultimately falls short. This is a taut and seductive thriller that initially weaves an intricate web of deceit, only to lose its way as the story progresses. Strong performances from Dakota Johnson and Josh Hartnett, coupled with a magnetic turn from Anne Hathaway, keep the film afloat, but the screenplay eventually retreats into familiar territory. There is a genuinely compelling thriller hiding inside Verity, but sadly, it never quite finds the courage to become the film its opening promises.

DARK SECRETS

For those keeping score, the film follows Lowen Ashleigh (Dakota Johnson), a struggling novelist who is hired to complete a bestselling book series for renowned author Verity Crawford (Anne Hathaway). Following a horrific accident, Verity is left in a vegetative state and unable to finish her masterpiece. Her husband, Jeremy (Josh Hartnett), therefore brings Lowen into the Crawford family home to examine Verity’s notes and complete the series in her name.

What could possibly go wrong? Well, apparently everything.

Once Lowen settles into the Crawford household, she quickly discovers that this picture-perfect family is hiding some seriously disturbing secrets. As she digs deeper into Verity’s work, she begins to suspect that the supposedly incapacitated author may not be quite as helpless as she appears.

But why would Verity fake such a horrific injury? Is this seemingly idyllic family dynamic nothing more than an elaborate façade? And just how much truth is hiding between the pages of Verity’s unfinished manuscript? Suddenly, Lowen finds herself trapped inside a mystery that becomes increasingly difficult to escape.

SEDUCTIVE SNAKES & LADDERS

From here, the film settles into a silky seduction of the audience as Lowen works her way through Verity’s notes and uncovers secrets that threaten to turn Jeremy’s entire world upside down. The deeper she digs, the more she becomes entangled in Verity’s darkest desires, sexual secrets, and twisted fantasies.

Before long, Lowen finds herself developing desires of her own. What begins as a professional assignment quickly morphs into a dangerous love story with potentially devastating consequences for everyone involved.

And with that, I’ll avoid venturing any further into spoiler territory. The plot continues winding its way through an intimate and increasingly seductive mystery, and for a while, it works beautifully. Unfortunately, the film’s biggest problem emerges after the hour mark. Nick Antosca’s previously sharp screenplay begins abandoning the mystery in favor of familiar genre conventions, and the freshness that made the opening so compelling starts to disappear.

TROPES AND TERRORS!

Forbidden love, jilted lovers, underhanded seduction, and suspicious spouses all become part of the mix. Rather than building on the intriguing mystery established early on, however, these familiar ingredients gradually make the story feel increasingly predictable.

Dakota Johnson even slips back into her obligatory Fifty Shades gear for a gratuitous masturbation scene that feels completely unnecessary. It may appease the more excitable members of the audience, but here it feels more like an attempt to underline the film’s adult credentials than a meaningful part of the story.

The film’s soundscape doesn’t help matters. A lumbering score and some bizarre needle drops repeatedly clash with the material, sapping tension from moments that should have carried considerably more weight. By this point, the film has lost much of the momentum established during its opening hour. What began as a gripping mystery gradually becomes a conventional romantic thriller, and the final stretch struggles to offer anything genuinely surprising.

PERFORMANCES

Thankfully, the cast remains consistently watchable.

Dakota Johnson works well with the material, but this is hardly the most challenging role of her career. She brings her trademark coolness to Lowen and remains a safe pair of hands throughout, although the character never gives her enough to truly stretch herself. At times, it feels like a retread of her work in The Materialists, a film that ultimately offers considerably more rewatchability.

Josh Hartnett fares better. As the emotionally tormented Jeremy, he gets to explore both sides of the character, shifting between vulnerable husband and seductive romantic interest with relative ease. Even when the story takes a darker turn, Hartnett embraces the material and handles its increasingly edgy twists with confidence.

But make no mistake, this is Anne Hathaway’s show.

As Verity Crawford, Hathaway delivers a wonderfully weighted and deeply seductive performance that lingers long after the credits roll. Her alluring monologues are among the film’s strongest moments, while her poise, delivery, and sheer screen presence demonstrate once again why she remains a cut above the rest. Considering this is her fifth blockbuster of the year, you could be forgiven for expecting even the tiniest hint of fatigue. Instead, Hathaway seems to have saved some of her best work for last. She is operating on another level here, effortlessly commanding the screen whenever she appears.

VERDICT

Overall, Verity is a frustratingly uneven thriller. Its opening hour is packed with enticing intrigue, sexual tension, and enough mystery to keep us guessing, but the final act gradually abandons that promise in favor of increasingly familiar territory. The biggest disappointment is knowing how good the film could have been. Showalter establishes an intriguing world, Antosca’s screenplay initially keeps us guessing, and the cast is more than capable of carrying the material. But the story ultimately plays it too safe, and the result never becomes greater than the sum of its parts.

Having never read Colleen Hoover’s original novel, I can’t honestly say whether the film remains faithful to its source material. But if it does, any true-crime enthusiast may find themselves scratching their heads at the criminology on display. Let’s just say the execution leaves rather a lot to be desired.

Michael Showalter has already proven his mettle in the romantic-comedy arena, but if he intends to make the leap into crime thrillers, he may want to choose his next project carefully. There are flashes of genuine promise here, particularly during that opening hour, but the finished product doesn’t deliver on them.

In the end, Verity offers a fun and enticing first hour. Everything after that is a crime against the audience.

Verity is playing in cinemas everywhere now.

 

 

 

 

 

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