The psychological thriller Verity has arrived in theatres on Friday, entering a packed October 2 release slate that includes Tom Cruise's Digger and Ajay Devgn's Drishyam: The Conclusion — and early reactions suggest the Colleen Hoover adaptation is already one of the most divisive releases of the season.
Based on Hoover's bestselling novel and directed by Michael Showalter, the film stars Anne Hathaway as bestselling author Verity Crawford, who is left unable to write after a serious car accident. Dakota Johnson plays Lowen Ashleigh, a struggling writer hired by Verity's husband Jeremy (Josh Hartnett) to complete his wife's book series. After moving into the Crawford family home to go through Verity's notes, Lowen discovers a disturbing manuscript that raises unsettling questions about Verity, her marriage and her family.
Initial reactions on X have been mixed. Several viewers praised Hathaway's performance and the film's stylish, twisted tone, while others criticised its pacing and handling of the source material. One early post called Hathaway "phenomenal"; another called the film unintentionally funny and said its big twist arrived too late.
Professional critics are similarly split. The film debuted with a 54 per cent Tomatometer score on September 30 based on 28 reviews, later sliding to around 41-52 per cent as more reviews arrived. Variety criticised its handling of the erotic-thriller genre, while Screen Rant's reviewer awarded it 8 out of 10, calling it potentially the best Hoover adaptation yet and praising Johnson's performance.
The R-rated thriller, which runs about 1 hour 54 minutes, faces stiff competition for screens this weekend. But with Hoover's large fanbase and the star power of Hathaway and Johnson, Verity could still find its audience among psychological-thriller fans.
Sources:
- Verity X Reviews: Fans Call Anne Hathaway 'Phenomenal', Mixed Reactions Blame Film's Pacing Against Digger, Drishyam 3
- 'Verity' Rotten Tomatoes score divides critics ahead of Anne Hathaway and Dakota Johnson thriller release
Based on Hoover's bestselling novel and directed by Michael Showalter, the film stars Anne Hathaway as bestselling author Verity Crawford, who is left unable to write after a serious car accident. Dakota Johnson plays Lowen Ashleigh, a struggling writer hired by Verity's husband Jeremy (Josh Hartnett) to complete his wife's book series. After moving into the Crawford family home to go through Verity's notes, Lowen discovers a disturbing manuscript that raises unsettling questions about Verity, her marriage and her family.
Initial reactions on X have been mixed. Several viewers praised Hathaway's performance and the film's stylish, twisted tone, while others criticised its pacing and handling of the source material. One early post called Hathaway "phenomenal"; another called the film unintentionally funny and said its big twist arrived too late.
Professional critics are similarly split. The film debuted with a 54 per cent Tomatometer score on September 30 based on 28 reviews, later sliding to around 41-52 per cent as more reviews arrived. Variety criticised its handling of the erotic-thriller genre, while Screen Rant's reviewer awarded it 8 out of 10, calling it potentially the best Hoover adaptation yet and praising Johnson's performance.
The R-rated thriller, which runs about 1 hour 54 minutes, faces stiff competition for screens this weekend. But with Hoover's large fanbase and the star power of Hathaway and Johnson, Verity could still find its audience among psychological-thriller fans.
Sources:
- Verity X Reviews: Fans Call Anne Hathaway 'Phenomenal', Mixed Reactions Blame Film's Pacing Against Digger, Drishyam 3
- 'Verity' Rotten Tomatoes score divides critics ahead of Anne Hathaway and Dakota Johnson thriller release
