Brief
Anne Hathaway leads steamy but sluggish thriller Verity
The adaptation of Colleen Hoover's 2018 novel is billed as a sexy psychological thriller, but critics say it lacks tension and atmosphere.
By Felo News Desk · Published
Anne Hathaway stars as Verity Crawford in the film Verity, an adaptation of Colleen Hoover's 2018 novel, which the Winnipeg Free Press describes as a "sexy psychological thriller" released in early October 2026.
What happened
The movie follows struggling author Lowen (played by Dakota Johnson), who meets publisher Jeremy (Josh Hartnett) after a street accident in New York. Jeremy, who is also the husband of bestselling thriller writer Verity Crawford, asks Lowen to help Verity finish her latest novel while Verity recovers from a car crash. The plot weaves together erotic trauma bonding, a mysterious conference in New York, and a series of dark revelations about Verity's work.
What the reports add
The review notes that scripter Nick Antosca (known for 2026’s Cape Fear) and director Michael Showalter (who directed The Idea of You) aimed for escapist fun, but the final product is "mostly a sloggy mess" with "draggy pacing, flat characters and a fatal lack of atmosphere." It also highlights the film's visual assets, such as a modernist lake house and notable knitwear, and praises Hathaway's "deliciously two‑faced" performance despite the overall shortcomings.
What was said
Lowen remarks, “I don’t read books you can buy at an airport,” a line quoted by the Winnipeg Free Press. The outlet also comments that Hathaway "brings plenty of campy energy" to the role.
How it came about
Verity is based on Hoover's 2018 bestseller, following the author's previous novels It Ends with Us, Regretting You and Reminders of Him, all of which have been adapted for the screen. The film continues the trend of turning Hoover's popular romance‑thriller catalog into movies, a pattern previously covered by Felo in its review of the Netflix police‑helicopter thriller Helo, which also highlighted the studio's focus on high‑concept thrillers.
Key facts
- Verity is an adaptation of Colleen Hoover's 2018 novel. (winnipegfreepress.com)
- Anne Hathaway stars as Verity Crawford, with Josh Hartnett and Dakota Johnson in supporting roles. (winnipegfreepress.com)
- Nick Antosca wrote the script and Michael Showalter directed the film. (winnipegfreepress.com)
- The review describes the film as having heavy sexual content but slow pacing and flat characters. (winnipegfreepress.com)
- Lowen says, “I don’t read books you can buy at an airport.” (winnipegfreepress.com)
Sources
- [1] winnipegfreepress.com — originally reported as “Thriller has steam to spare, but story slogs”
