Verity review lands for Hathaway and Johnson Hoover thriller

Variety has published its review of Verity, the film version of Colleen Hoover's bestseller starring Dakota Johnson and Anne Hathaway. The review appeared on 30 September 2026, according to Variety.

Johnson plays Lowen Ashleigh. Hathaway plays Verity Crawford. Josh Hartnett plays Jeremy Crawford. The film was directed by Michael Showalter from a script by Nick Antosca, according to Variety.

Lowen is a struggling writer. She is hired by Jeremy to finish off remaining work connected to Verity, a famed author, according to The Hollywood Reporter.

That job follows a serious injury. Verity Crawford is a well-known author left badly hurt, according to Variety. Lowen steps into her world to keep the project moving.

Then comes the discovery. While working to complete the project, Lowen finds a disturbing unfinished manuscript that raises questions about Verity's mental stability, according to Variety. That manuscript sits at the centre of the story.

For fans, this means a book-to-screen thriller built around secrets and suspicion. Hoover herself has called Verity an old-school erotic thriller filled with sex, intrigue and twists and turns, according to Variety. Amazon describes the book as a gothic, psychosexual thriller in the vein of Rebecca and Gone Girl, according to The Hollywood Reporter.

The casting took shape in December 2024. That was when Johnson and Hartnett signed on to star opposite Hathaway in the adaptation, according to Variety. Hoover later discussed Hathaway and Johnson in a feature published by Variety on 23 September 2026.

Hoover's novel is a bestseller, according to The Hollywood Reporter. That readership gives the film a ready-made audience.