Verity Review: Come for the Thriller, Stay for the Camp

Verity is not the movie I expected. When I watched the trailer, I thought the film would be a serious, creepy psychological thriller. Instead, about halfway through, I realized I was laughing…a lot. Was I supposed to be? 

The film is based on Colleen Hoover’s bestselling book of the same name. Verity follows writer Lowen Ashleigh (Dakota Johnson) as she moves into the home of injured author Verity Crawford (Anne Hathaway) to complete her unfinished series, only to uncover shocking secrets. Even from that description, you wouldn’t expect to laugh your way through it.

When the film finished, I wasn’t sure how I felt about it. In fact, my immediate reaction was that I didn’t really enjoy it. The tone felt strange. The performances felt extremely heightened. Certain moments were so melodramatic that I couldn’t tell whether the movie was completely serious or if everyone involved knew exactly how ridiculous some of it was.

So I sat with it. The more I thought about it and discussed it, the more I wondered if Verity is actually a satirical take on those wonderfully ridiculous 1990s Lifetime thrillers. I’ve never read the book. So, I have absolutely no idea if that was the intention. But if that is the intention, they somewhat achieved it. And honestly, I think knowing that going in would have completely changed my experience. 

Verity is CAMPY.

The issue with Verity is that it doesn’t lean hard enough into either direction, leaving me a little confused about what’s purposeful and what’s possibly a happy accident. That said, one thing that helped me finally understand Verity’s tone is that nothing about the film is subtle. And I think that’s the point.

Anne Hathaway as Verity Crawford is probably the biggest indication of exactly what kind of movie this is. Hathaway is the perfect choice to play this over-the-top, pretentious, famous author who has turned herself into a brand. Everything about Verity feels curated. She’s dramatic. She’s seductive. She’s self-important. She’s constantly on, especially in those interview moments on shows like Call Her Daddy and Hot Ones. I was just waiting for the Chicken Shop Date finale episode to be for the film. And Hathaway is clearly having so much fun with it.

And then there are those voiceovers. Anne Hathaway’s sultry, campy voiceovers are TOP TIER. They are so dramatic and so serious that they become funny. 

Dakota Johnson also seems to understand the assignment. Her character, Lowen, is supposed to be navigating this incredibly bizarre situation, but Johnson’s performance has its own heightened quality. At one point, she even jokes about her own “resting bored face,” which felt like the movie looking directly at the audience and saying, “Yes, we know.” Her performance is campy, melodramatic, and, at times, completely ridiculous. 

And then there’s Josh Hartnett. Hartnett as James is the grounding force this movie desperately needs. While Hathaway and Johnson are operating at much higher, more heightened levels, Hartnett sits in the discomfort. He doesn’t seem to be playing the same game. He’s the one person who can stand in the middle of all of this madness and make the audience go, “Wait… what the hell is actually happening here?” That contrast works, giving the movie just enough grounding to keep it from becoming completely unhinged.

Embrace the 90s Lifetime Movie Satire

In the end, I think Verity would have been much easier for me to embrace if I had known what I was getting. So, that’s what I’m trying to do. Let people know what they’re getting into vs. possible expectations. 

My initial reaction was disappointment because I was judging it against the movie I thought I was about to watch. Once I stopped doing that, I could appreciate what I was actually watching. Is it ridiculous? Absolutely. Is it melodramatic? Completely. Did I laugh at moments that I don’t think I was necessarily supposed to laugh at? You bet. But by the end, I found myself thinking Verity might be exactly the kind of movie that knows how ridiculous it is.

And if it doesn’t know? Well… that somehow makes it even more entertaining.

So, no, Verity wasn’t the serious psychological thriller I thought I was getting. It was something much campier, much more melodramatic and, ultimately, much more fun to think about after the fact. And honestly? I’m not mad about it.