Adapted from Colleen Hoover’s bestselling novel and directed by Michael Showalter, the erotic thriller Verity opened in theaters on October 2. The 114-minute R-rated feature stars Anne Hathaway, Dakota Johnson, and Josh Hartnett, following a struggling writer hired to complete a famous comatose author’s manuscript who uncovers chilling revelations in an upstate mansion.
The Bottom Line on Verity
- The Release: Distributed as an R-rated feature film hitting multiple theaters on October 2.
- The Creative Team: Directed by Michael Showalter from a screenplay by Nick Antosca, adapting Colleen Hoover’s novel.
- The Critical Consensus: Reviewed by Moira Macdonald for The Seattle Times as an inert, 114-minute slog, earning a rating of 1.5 out of 4 stars.
How a Tragic Meet-Cute Sets Up an Upstate Retreat
The narrative begins with Lowen, played by Dakota Johnson, navigating a grim New York City commute on her way to a publishing meeting. According to reporting from The Seattle Times by arts critic Moira Macdonald, Lowen is suddenly drenched in blood due to the fatal traffic accident of a nearby anonymous cyclist. A handsome stranger steps in to assist, taking her to a coffee-shop restroom to provide his own shirt after her sweater is ruined.
That brief exchange about mortality sets the stage for a jarring coincidence. When Lowen arrives at her scheduled conference table, the very same stranger is seated across from her. He is Jeremy Crawford, the husband of the famous comatose author Verity Crawford, and Lowen has been brought in to complete Verity’s highly successful fiction series.
Inside the Crawford Mansion and Verity’s Manuscript
Lowen packs her belongings and relocates to the remote upstate New York mansion owned by the Crawfords. While she settles in to work, Verity lies pale and unmoving in an adjacent room, monitored closely by a nurse resembling Mrs. Danvers. Searching through Verity’s private papers, Lowen discovers an unpublished autobiography filled with dark revelations.
As Lowen digs deeper into the notes, her dynamic with Jeremy shifts into romantic tension. The film depicts them engaging in foreplay involving a cupcake and re-creating an explicit scene from Verity’s own book. Meanwhile, the overarching mystery centers on whether Verity is genuinely incapacitated or merely observing their interactions in secret.
Critical Reception and Theatrical Performance
In her review for The Seattle Times, Moira Macdonald awarded the film 1.5 out of 4 stars, describing it as an inert and disappointing entry in the erotic thriller genre. Comparing it unfavorably to Paul Feig’s winter release The Housemaid, the review notes that Dakota Johnson and Josh Hartnett struggle to find on-screen chemistry within a screenplay that offers limited character depth.
Director Michael Showalter incorporates jump scares, physical struggles involving biting, and dramatic confrontations to determine Verity’s medical state. However, the critic observed that only Anne Hathaway, appearing in flashbacks as pre-coma Verity, delivers a compelling villainous performance that embraces the material’s melodramatic tone.
Film Production and Rating Details
| Production Element | Detail |
|---|---|
| Release Date | October 2 |
| Source Material | Novel by Colleen Hoover |
| Director | Michael Showalter |
| Screenwriter | Nick Antosca |
| Cast | Anne Hathaway, Dakota Johnson, Josh Hartnett, Irina Dvorovenko |
| Run Time & Rating | 114 minutes, Rated R for sexual content, nudity, language, violence, and bloody images |
Distributed for theatrical exhibition, Verity brings Colleen Hoover’s dark romantic suspense to the big screen with an R rating covering its explicit content and violent imagery. Macdonald’s assessment in The Seattle Times highlights the tonal contrasts between Hathaway’s flashbacks and the central performances of the main cast as the 114-minute feature rolls out in cinemas nationwide.
