Verity

"There is no light where we're going."

2026 1h 54m EN

👍

6.6

SOLID

★6.6TMDB · 93

MysteryThriller

Synopsis

Spoiler shield

Lowen Ashleigh is hired by Jeremy Crawford to ghostwrite novels for his bestselling author wife Verity, who is unable to finish following an accident. Lowen gradually uncovers Verity's disturbing truths while residing at the Crawfords' home to work.

“There is no light where we're going.”

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Where to watch · US

Fandango At HomeBuy

Cast

Dakota Johnson
Lowen Ashleigh
Anne Hathaway
Verity Crawford
Josh Hartnett
Jeremy Crawford
Brady Wagner
Crew Crawford
Ismael Cruz Cordova
Corey
Irina Dvorovenko
Anna
Sienna Kulovitz
Harper Crawford
K.K. Moggie
Amanda Thomas

Credits

Behind the camera

Director: Michael Showalter
Writers: Nick Antosca
Languages: English
Countries: United States of America

Want more? Switch to Cinephile mode in the header for DP, composer, budget, box office, production companies, keywords, and release history.

Did you know?

Fun facts 🍿

1 / 8

ERA

Did you know

Released this year — you're seeing it while it's still in the cultural conversation.

MoodPlayr · trivia#01

2 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Directed by Michael Showalter, shot by Jim Frohna. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.

MoodPlayr · trivia#02

3 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Original score by Volker Bertelmann. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.

MoodPlayr · trivia#03

4 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Editor Jay Cassidy shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.

MoodPlayr · trivia#04

5 / 8

CAST

Did you know

Dakota Johnson and Anne Hathaway and Josh Hartnett carry the top of the cast.

MoodPlayr · trivia#05

6 / 8

FACT

Did you know

Marketing tagline: "There is no light where we're going.".

MoodPlayr · trivia#06

7 / 8

WILD

Did you know

IMDB entry: tt32261958 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.

MoodPlayr · trivia#07

8 / 8

WILD

Did you know

Only 93 TMDB ratings — you're getting ahead of the curve on this one.

MoodPlayr · trivia#08

Cinephile deep dive

The take

Michael Showalter directs. Jim Frohna behind the camera. Volker Bertelmann scores. Jay Cassidy cuts. Profitable at the box office. Produced in United States of America. Dialogue in English.

Trivia

Things worth knowing

1Released this year — you're seeing it while it's still in the cultural conversation.
2Directed by Michael Showalter, shot by Jim Frohna. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.
3Original score by Volker Bertelmann. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.
4Editor Jay Cassidy shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.
5Dakota Johnson and Anne Hathaway and Josh Hartnett carry the top of the cast.
6Marketing tagline: "There is no light where we're going.".
7IMDB entry: tt32261958 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.
8Only 93 TMDB ratings — you're getting ahead of the curve on this one.
9Classified under 8 themes, including "based on novel or book", "psychological thriller", "novelist", "hidden truth".

The technical file

Cinematography: Jim Frohna
Original score: Volker Bertelmann
Editing: Jay Cassidy
Production design: Amy Williams
Costume design: Jacqueline Oknaian Demeterio
Makeup / hair: Andrea Miller
VFX supervisor: Alex Dreiblatt
Sound: Skip Lievsay
Stunt coordinator: John Cenatiempo
Runtime: 114 min · 1h 54m
Aspect ratio (typical): 1.37:1 (Academy)
Status: Released
Budget: $40,000,000
Box office: $62,500,000
Return: 156% of budget
Original language: EN
Certification (US): R
IMDB: Verity (2026)

Also by

Michael Showalter

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Trailers & featurettes

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Community reviews

What people are saying

Manuel São Bento2026-10-03
★ 5/10
Check out my full review @ https://www.manuelsbento.com/verity-2026-a-stellar-trio-cant-rescue-a-formulaic-thriller/ Rating: C VERITY has a trio of terrific performances, with Anne Hathaway operating a league above everyone else, but it never gives them a thriller worth their talent. The commitment to melodrama is admirable, yet the twists are so familiar that I felt like I was rewatching any other Colleen Hoover adaptation. The tension never really arrives, the trashy/sexy elements are lackluster, and scenes stall for padding before ending exactly where they were headed. Muted, predictable, and struggling to justify its runtime for what it delivers, this one didn't convince me.
Brent Marchant2026-10-04
★ 3/10
A movie that bills itself as more than it turns out to be has got to be guilty of one of the most egregious sins in filmmaking, and director Michael Showalter’s screen adaptation of this best-selling novel by author Colleen Hoover qualifies on virtually all fronts. Although touted as a dark, erotic psychological thriller, this offering is none of those things. In fact, it barely passes as fare that one might find on the Lifetime cable TV network. When famed novelist Verity Crawford (Anne Hathaway) is severely injured in a car accident, her publisher (K.K. Moggie) looks to hire a ghostwriter to stand in for her to finish several titles in her current book series while (or if) she recovers. Crawford’s husband, Jeremy (Josh Hartnett), recommends the job go to a struggling, little-known aspiring writer, Lowen Ashleigh (Dakota Johnson), whom he inexplicably believes is best capable of mimicking his wife’s prosaic style. Although somewhat intimidated at the prospect of this offer, Lowen nevertheless accepts it and relocates from New York to the Crawfords’ Vermont home, where she has access to the novelist’s extensive notes and research materials. But, once there, the clueless stand-in finds herself embroiled in a scenario full of mysteries, confessions and intrigue involving the Crawfords’ personal and professional lives. What’s more, she unwittingly becomes involved in matters of infidelity (lukewarm though it may be), solving the conundrum of Verity’s true health status, and getting to the bottom of the allegedly accidental drowning of her young daughter (Sienna Kulovitz), a mystery shrouded in details as murky as the lake where it happened. These circumstances also prompt the emergence of new ambitions by all concerned, even if they frequently come out of left field. Potentially speaking, there should have been enough to work with here to make for a steamy noir-esque potboiler or, in the alternative, a deliciously campy romp. Regrettably, though, it’s neither of those things. On the contrary, “Verity” is boring, implausible and lacking in all of the qualities it was erroneously imbued with. The clunky, plot hole-filled writing is the prime culprit here, but the abysmal casting knocks the project down more than a few pegs, too. While Hathaway turns in her usual capable work, it’s vastly overshadowed by the remarkably underwhelming performance of Hartnett and the positively dreadful monotone portrayal of Johnson, who treats her character with the same deadpan, dispassionate handling as she did in the “Fifty Shades of Grey” trilogy (2015-2018). Moreover, were it not for the stunning visuals of the Vermont landscape (particularly in winter) and the stylish appointments of the designer home in which most of the story is set, there’s really not much else to see (or like) in this absolute utter snoozefest. How this title ever got out of pre-production is beyond me, but, if your expectations are low, this just might be to your liking – that is, if there’s nothing to watch on Lifetime.
Harish Napa Janakiraman2026-10-04
★ 7/10
The psychological thriller sets up an intriguing, twisted premise filled with dark secrets and moral ambiguity. Unraveling the hidden manuscript inside an unsettling household provides genuine suspense, giving the story enough eerie tension to make it a good, engaging watch overall. Dakota Johnson is absolutely stunning in the lead, bringing effortless allure, quiet curiosity, and sharp emotional vulnerability to her character. Her commanding screen presence anchors the entire film, making her descent into obsession feel captivating even when the narrative begins to drag. However, the dull screenplay keeps the movie from reaching its full potential. The pacing feels sluggish in key stretches, relying on convenient exposition rather than building sharp psychological dread. While the writing stumbles and fails to deliver a tighter punch, Dakota's magnetic performance and the atmospheric mystery keep it thoroughly enjoyable.