Welcome to the latest edition of She Reads movie reviews in partnership with The Reel Obsessed. We’re Abby and Kelcy, co-creators of The Reel Obsessed, and we’re always excited to bring our film expertise and fandom to the She Reads and She Watches community. Verity is finally in theaters and as one of the most-anticipated book-to-movie releases this year, we can’t wait to dive in!

Movie Title:

Verity

Genre:

Psychological Thriller

Synopsis:

Verity follows struggling writer Lowen Ashleigh, who is hired by Jeremy Crawford to finish a bestselling book series written by his wife, Verity, after a devastating accident leaves her unable to complete it. Lowen moves into the Crawford family home to sort through Verity’s notes, but while searching her office, she discovers a disturbing, unpublished manuscript that appears to reveal horrifying secrets about Verity, her marriage, and the tragedies that have plagued their family.

As Lowen grows closer to Jeremy, she begins questioning what’s true, what’s fiction, and whether Verity is really as helpless as she seems. It’s a psychological thriller about obsession, manipulation, desire, and unreliable narratives, where you’re constantly questioning who you can trust (team manuscript or team letter?)

Verity is a dark psychological thriller novel by Colleen Hoover published in 2018. In 2026 Amazon released their adaptation of the film starring Anne Hathaway as Verity, Josh Hartnett as Jeremy, and Dakota Johnson as Lowen.

Bookish Blurb:

Verity was originally self-published by Colleen Hoover in 2018 before later being acquired and republished by Grand Central Publishing. It was a major departure from Hoover’s romance-heavy catalog, and leans into psychological thriller, suspense, and horror elements while still having a central romance. There’s also a fun meta element to this book: you’re reading a book about an author reading another author’s book, and that embedded manuscript starts influencing how Lowen, and therefore you, view Verity.

Film Facts:

This adaptation was actually already in development in 2020. The screenplay went through several writers and drafts before Nick Antosca ultimately handled the credited screenplay.

In a press interview, Anne Hathaway revealed they filmed a scene involving Hot One’s signature spicy wings, although she used fake wings during filming. Hathaway only ate the first three Hot Ones wings for real while filming Verity. She switched to dummy wings because she wanted to save her first full 10-wing gauntlet for a real appearance as herself. She planned to finally do it while promoting the movie, but her doctor nixed it because she was pregnant. Next press tour?!

Who is Verity for?

Verity is for thriller fans who love ambiguity, unreliable narrators, and stories that keep you guessing. This one is for the fans of movies like: Gone Girl and A Simple Favor.

Abby’s Take

Rating: ⭐⭐⭐✨(I gave this a 3.8 so I cheated a little bit by not using a perfect half!)

Character to obsess over: 

Lowen Ashleigh played by Dakota Johnson. I know she also may be unreliable and there are very few likeable elements about these characters overall, BUT something about Lowen was just effortlessly cool. I loved how Dakota portrayed her. She was subtly stylish and had a quick wit. She seemed like the moral compass…until she wasn’t…?

Abby’s Review: 

There’s something that feels right about watching two fabulous women go head-to-head in a psychological thriller during the fall season. Verity delivered the shock and awe we expected and left us on the edge of our seats.

The filming location was a standout. The isolated and modern cabin-style house played the perfect setting for this twisted tale. It was both eerie and beautiful, as were the shots. The camera angles during the police interrogation scenes and the film styling during Lowen reading the manuscript, were extremely creative.

The chemistry between Lowen and Jeremy was absolutely believable! It was a love story that left you feeling…guilty. Do I want them to be together or not? Is it wrong or is it right? You will constantly be switching your opinions of these characters throughout the film, especially Verity herself, and that’s part of the fun.

There were a few unnecessary scenes that added no point to the plot, like the bathtub scene, that I don’t personally think needed to be in the movie. But overall, the story was pieced together well and sparked immediate conversation once the credits began to roll. And isn’t that what a psychological thriller is supposed to do?

*Potential spoiler (and graphic) warning*: I particularly loved the scene early in the film when we see Lowen’s face get sprayed with blood after the bike accident. It was a shock to the audience, and we believe even foreshadowed “the mess” that was to come into her life.

Kelcy’s Take

Rating: ⭐⭐⭐✨

Character to obsess over: 

Can we trust Jeremy Crawford? Probably not. Do we care when he looks like Josh Hartnett? Also probably not.

Jeremy is grieving, mysterious, fiercely protective, and just suspicious enough to make him even hotter. Hartnett plays him with this quiet intensity that makes you want to believe every word he says, even when your instincts are screaming otherwise. He takes us through every stage of grief while always keeping something dangerous simmering just beneath the surface.

Is he a devoted husband? A vengeful man who is completely unraveling? Something much darker? Who knows, but I love it. Without the mysterious Jeremy, there is no double twist in Verity.

Kelcy’s Review: 

Verity is exactly the kind of psychological thriller I expected it to be: dark, twisted, sexy, and constantly making you question what, and who, you should believe. As someone who loves an unreliable narrator and a story built around ambiguity, I had a lot of fun watching this one unfold.

Visually, Verity was at its strongest when the filmmaking leaned into that uncertainty. I loved the use of lighting throughout the film, as well as the reflective shots through windows and mirrors. Those choices made it feel like we were constantly looking at the characters through another layer, which fits perfectly with a story where perception plays such an important role. There are also some really clever mirrored compositions and repeated visual ideas that I appreciated even more as the story progressed.

The twists are ultimately what made the movie work for me. Even when I thought I knew where the story was headed, Verity found ways to make me question what I had already believed to be true. There are a few standout moments that are going to stick with me, including the big Verity reveal, and of course, discovering the letter! That being said, not everything worked. Some of the dialogue and writing felt cheesy, especially compared to how seriously the film treats the darker elements of the story. There were also a few creative choices that left me asking “why?” rather than adding to the mystery. Certain sexual elements, in particular, felt unnecessary or confusing rather than provocative, and I’m still not entirely sure what they were supposed to add to the story or its characters.

Finally, there is the question moviegoers will inevitably leave the theater debating: manuscript or letter? I want to believe the letter. But based on what the movie actually shows us, especially some of the visual clues in Verity’s office, I’m leaning toward the manuscript. It’s difficult to say because I truly hated every single one of these characters (and that’s a GREAT thing for a psychological thriller!)

Overall, I enjoyed Verity. It has its flaws, and I don’t think every creative decision works, but it gave me exactly what I wanted from this adaptation: a stylish psychological thriller, plenty of twists, and an ending that had me immediately questioning everything I just watched.

The Reel Obsessed Overall Rating: ⭐⭐⭐✨

Verity definitely deserves to be seen in the theater. We highly recommend watching it with a crowd, so grab your friends or find a full theater because the audience reactions during a movie like this are truly what makes watching films in community special. Though there were a few half-baked scene decisions and some dialogue weaknesses, it’s a suspenseful watch that will get people talking.

We want to hear from you! What did you think of Verity? Especially for those of you who have read the book. Are you team Manuscript or team Letter? Make sure to follow and comment on @shereadsdotcom and @thereelobsessed accounts on Instagram to let us know. See you at the movies!