Anne Hathaway and Dakota Johnson star in Verity film adaptation

Production Background and Literary Roots

Colleen Hoover wrote 16 romance novels before switching gears in 2018 to write “Verity,” self-publishing a psychological thriller that became a literary triumph. According to reporting from Deadline, Hoover serves as a producer on the film version, marking the fourth adaptation of one of her novels in a two-year span following “It Ends With Us” in 2024, “Regretting You” in 2025, and “Reminders of Him” earlier in 2026. The film adaptation is directed by Michael Showalter from a script by Nick Antosca. Showalter’s prior directing credits include “The Big Sick,” “The Idea of You,” and “The Eyes of Tammy Faye,” alongside television work on “The Dropout” and “Search Party.”

Plot Dynamics and Character Roles

As detailed in the source reviews, the story centers on Lowen Ashleigh, a struggling author played by Dakota Johnson, who witnesses a fatal car accident in New York City and is subsequently offered a high-paying job by a legendary publishing house to ghostwrite the remaining entries in a popular thriller series. The series was created by Verity Crawford, an uber-successful author played by Anne Hathaway, whose career and family life were halted following a severe car crash. Upon arriving at the lavish Vermont lakeside home of Verity and her husband Jeremy Crawford—played by Josh Hartnett—Lowen discovers an unpublished autobiographical manuscript on a hidden USB drive. The manuscript, titled “So Be It,” details Verity’s marriage, the birth of her twins Harper and Crew, and dark confessions regarding her resentment toward motherhood. While the real Verity remains nearly catatonic in a nearby room, cared for by a nurse, Lowen reads the intimate disclosures while managing a growing romantic tension with Jeremy.

Critical Reception and Performances

Critics have offered mixed assessments of the film’s execution. Reviewers note that while the runtime spans one hour and 58 minutes, the narrative maintains a slow pace punctuated by flashback sequences drawn from Verity’s manuscript. IndieWire describes the feature as a “ludicrous psycho-thriller” that hinges on the domestic tensions surrounding a successful author rendered mute by tragedy. Performances have drawn distinct reactions, with Hathaway’s portrayal receiving notable praise. Reviewers point out that despite spending much of the film playing a character who is unresponsive and physically immobile in a vegetative state, Hathaway anchors the film’s most startling moments through flashbacks and micro-expressions, executing the primary jump scares in the production. Meanwhile, Johnson and Hartnett play roles that leave them with fewer dramatic beats to explore as the central investigation unfolds.