A couple of weeks ago marked Fall Break — a week-long pause from classes that ideally included minimal assignments for most students. Many Bluejays traveled far and wide to various destinations, enjoying time with family and friends, while others opted to remain on campus, taking advantage of the break to catch up on some much-needed rest after midterm exams. I spent the long-awaited week back home in Minnesota, where the crisp fall air and changing leaves made it the perfect excuse to head to the movie theater.
With the recent release of the psychological thriller “Verity” earlier this month, producer and author Colleen Hoover is celebrating the fourth film adaptation of her novels in just two years. Based on Hoover’s bestselling 2018 mystery novel, the film follows struggling writer Lowen Ashleigh, portrayed by Dakota Johnson, who is hired to complete writing a successful book series for acclaimed author Verity Crawford, played by Anne Hathaway, after a mysterious and tragic auto accident left Verity paralyzed and unable to communicate, halting both her family life and career.
As Lowen settles into the Crawford family’s extravagant Vermont home, she uncovers a hidden, unpublished autobiographical manuscript, “So Be It,” filled with shocking confessions that portray Verity in a vastly different light from the beloved and renowned author known to the world, even her own family. As Lowen delves deeper into the manuscript, the story slowly unfolds through a series of flashbacks detailing Verity’s romance with her husband, Jeremy Crawford (Josh Hartnett), and her life as a mother of twins. This progression forces both Lowen and the audience to question what is true and what is fabricated.
What begins as merely a ghostwriting assignment quickly spirals into a web of obsession and paranoia. With each chapter of the manuscript, Lowen becomes increasingly convinced that Verity may not be the innocent victim she appears to be. At the same time, she finds herself falling for Jeremy — blurring the line between professionalism and personal desire.
Thriving on uncertainty, the film sets out to convince the audience they have uncovered the truth, only for unforeseen twists and turns to send the narrative in completely different directions. This tension builds toward a shocking finale when Lowen discovers a hidden letter claiming the manuscript as purely fictional and simply a disturbing writing exercise never intended to be taken literally. Yet, this revelation comes too late, following a confrontation with Verity, who is revealed to have never been paralyzed, and with Jeremy, who kills his wife in vengeance for their daughter’s death. And a now-pregnant Lowen, married to Jeremy, who may have intentionally caused Verity’s accident — contemplating what is real and what is fake.
Viewers are left with more questions than answers, replicating the novel’s long-debated central mystery: should they believe the manuscript is an honest confession from a troubled woman, or was Verity simply a victim who crafted a fictional narrative to write more villainously, as described in her letter?
Even director Michael Showalter, who adapted the novel for the big screen, does not know where he stands.
“All the actors have their own version of what they believe is true, and I wanted to honor each of their versions,” he told The Hollywood Reporter. “So, I’m agnostic.”
Both Hoover and Showalter believe that when adapting a novel — one with no definitive resolution — the details matter.
“It’s amazing how the tiniest little thing that you do has a huge ripple effect on the way an audience perceives the whole movie,” Showalter shared. “Just one tiny moment can change everything.”
Beyond its suspenseful plot, the film’s soundtrack features artists including The Marías, Lana Del Rey, Charli XCX and Kali Uchis. There are even cameos from Gayle King, “Call Her Daddy” host Alex Cooper and Sean Evans of “Hot Ones,” who all appear as interviewers discussing Verity’s literary success, writing process and public persona.
Although I am a firm believer in reading the novel before watching its film adaptation, I was simply too intrigued by the buzz surrounding “Verity” to wait. Fortunately, the movie delivers the same chilling feeling which has captivated readers for years, with each scene produced to make the viewers question who they can truly trust, and whether the truth can ever be fully known.
Are you Team Manuscript or Team Letter? No matter where you land, and who knows, there may never be a definitive answer, much like Hoover intended. “Verity” offers a little something for everyone: unsettling psychological twists, romances and plenty of pop-culture references.