--- title: "Verity: the reviews" canonical: "https://film.one/film/verity/reviews" title_page: "https://film.one/film/verity" critics_score: 40 critics_reviews: 22 licence: "© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL." --- # Verity (2026): what the critics said Critics' score 40 from 22 reviews: 3 positive, 5 mixed, 14 negative. Most critics find Verity an underwhelming erotic thriller, with its pulpy premise yielding too little suspense. Praise clusters around Anne Hathaway, whose theatricality and comic timing give even several detractors something to enjoy. The interiors, foreboding house setting and carefully composed images also draw favourable notices, though some reviews find the atmosphere sterile. A smaller group enjoys the camp and old-fashioned erotic suspense enough to forgive the implausibilities. The divide is wide, but negative reviews predominate. Recurring complaints concern sluggish pacing, muddled tone and twists that become less convincing as they accumulate; several critics also think the film is too cautious with its darker material. The Los Angeles Times embraces its stylish, campy approach, while Variety finds it listless and ineffective. Performances divide opinion too: IndieWire praises Dakota Johnson’s subtlety and Josh Hartnett’s warmth, whereas Vulture finds their detachment and flatness damaging. ## Los Angeles Times — Katie Walsh Fi1m's normalised score 80/100 (inferred from the text). 1 October 2026. Walsh calls the film the best and most stylish Colleen Hoover adaptation so far, praising its campy, twisty approach. She singles out the trio’s performances and the sumptuous interiors, while noting that the story lacks backstory to explain its characters’ motives. [Read the review](https://www.latimes.com/entertainment-arts/movies/story/2026-10-01/verity-review-anne-hathaway-josh-hartnett-dakota-johnson) ## IndieWire — David Ehrlich Rating B-. 30 September 2026. Ehrlich finds the film a ludicrous but enjoyable psycho-thriller whose twists expose how readily people impose stories on others. He praises Dakota Johnson’s subtle performance and Josh Hartnett’s warm, convincing turn, while faulting the film’s sterile atmosphere. [Read the review](https://www.indiewire.com/criticism/movies/verity-movie-review-anne-hathaway-dakota-johnson-hoover-1235218163/) ## The AV Club — Jesse Hassenger Rating C+. 30 September 2026. The review finds Verity watchable but uneven, falling short of the genre workout it promises. It praises the film’s eerie, well-composed visuals, while noting that its stars cannot overcome the story’s weightless, awkwardly heightened feel. [Read the review](https://www.avclub.com/verity-review-colleen-hoover-anne-hathaway-dakota-johnson) ## Time Out — Larushka Ivan-Zadeh Rating 3/5. 29 September 2026. The review suggests the steamy thriller may appeal to viewers drawn to old-fashioned erotic suspense. It singles out its throwback mix of romance and erotic-thriller conventions as the source of its appeal. [Read the review](https://www.timeout.com/movies/verity-review-2026) ## Radio Times — Chezelle Bingham Fi1m's normalised score 40/100 (inferred from the text). 2 October 2026. The review finds that the adaptation’s dark, pulpy promise is not fully fulfilled. It faults the film for not going far enough with its darkness. [Read the review](https://www.radiotimes.com/movies/verity-review-anne-hathaway-dakota-johnson/) ## Slant Magazine — Chris Barsanti Rating 1.5/4. 30 September 2026. The critic finds the film muted, dull, and unable to deliver on its promised thrills or drama. Hathaway’s archness in the memoir sequences is singled out as the one performance that captures the story’s potential. [Read the review](https://www.slantmagazine.com/film/verity-review-dakota-johnson-anne-hathaway/) ## Empire — Helen O’Hara Fi1m's normalised score 30/100 (inferred from the text). 1 October 2026. The review finds the film an adequate melodrama that never builds into a satisfying thriller. It praises the leads’ performances but faults the meandering plot and unsatisfying final revelations. [Read the review](https://www.empireonline.com/movies/reviews/verity/) ## Screen Daily — Tim Grierson Fi1m's normalised score 30/100 (inferred from the text). 30 September 2026. The critic finds the adaptation flimsy and says its leads struggle to elevate it. The glossy erotic-thriller approach is the only specific quality noted in the accessible text. [Read the review](https://www.screendaily.com/reviews/verity-review-dakota-johnson-and-anne-hathaway-struggle-to-lift-flimsy-colleen-hoover-adaptation/5220922.article) ## The Guardian — Peter Bradshaw Fi1m's normalised score 25/100 (inferred from the text). 30 September 2026. Bradshaw finds the film entertaining in premise but ultimately unconvincing. He faults the third act for collapsing into implausible plot points and an unsatisfying ambiguity. [Read the review](https://www.theguardian.com/film/2026/sep/30/verity-review-dakota-johnson-anne-hathaway-josh-hartnett) ## Vulture — Alison Willmore Fi1m's normalised score 25/100 (inferred from the text). 1 October 2026. Willmore finds the film frustratingly incoherent, with its tone and twists pulling in incompatible directions. She singles out the performances, especially Dakota Johnson’s detached approach and Josh Hartnett’s flatness, as failing to make the story work. [Read the review](https://www.vulture.com/article/review-anne-hathaway-deserves-better-than-verity.html) ## The Hollywood Reporter — Richard Lawson Fi1m's normalised score 15/100 (inferred from the text). 30 September 2026. Lawson finds the film a weak, frustrating mystery that becomes increasingly foolish as its plot unfolds. He praises its early mood and playful details, but singles out the clunky twists and Dakota Johnson’s disengaged performance as major problems. [Read the review](https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-reviews/verity-review-anne-hathaway-dakota-johnson-josh-hartnett-1236714142/) ## The New Yorker — Richard Brody Fi1m's normalised score 10/100 (inferred from the text). 30 September 2026. Brody finds the film an absurd, unsuccessful crime drama that wastes its cast’s talent. He particularly faults its implausible plotting, ungrounded characters, and failure to create a convincing world. [Read the review](https://www.newyorker.com/culture/the-front-row/verity-is-a-criminal-waste-of-talent) ## Variety — Guy Lodge Fi1m's normalised score 10/100 (inferred from the text). 1 October 2026. Lodge finds the film a flat, listless dud that fails as an erotic thriller. He singles out its stilted pacing and overplayed, second-guessed twists as especially ineffective. [Read the review](https://au.variety.com/2026/film/global/verity-review-dakota-johnson-anne-hathaway-40862/) ## HeyUGuys Fi1m's normalised score 75/100 (inferred from the text). The critic finds it a hugely entertaining, campy thriller, though its rushed ending keeps it from fully delivering. They praise the performances, particularly Dakota Johnson and Anne Hathaway, and Showalter’s confident handling of the film’s pulpy tone. [Read the review](https://www.heyuguys.com/verity-review/) ## Collider — Carly Lane Rating 6/10. 30 September 2026. Lane finds the adaptation entertaining and mostly faithful, but says it plays too safe and fails to develop a stronger identity. She especially praises Anne Hathaway’s nuanced performance and the leading trio’s chemistry. [Read the review](https://collider.com/verity-movie-review-anne-hathaway-dakota-johnson-josh-hartnett/) ## The Wrap Fi1m's normalised score 55/100 (inferred from the text). 30 September 2026. The critic finds the film silly and overstuffed, but entertaining enough for a fun group watch. They praise its visually striking cinematography and house setting, while faulting its excessive twists and uneven tone. [Read the review](https://www.thewrap.com/creative-content/reviews/verity-review-anne-hathaway-dakota-johnson/) ## Deadline — Pete Hammond Fi1m's normalised score 50/100 (inferred from the text). 30 September 2026. Hammond finds the thriller watchable but underwhelming, saying it feels like leftovers and its twists are predictable. He praises Dakota Johnson’s magnetic performance, which carries much of the film. [Read the review](https://deadline.com/2026/09/verity-review-dakota-johnson-anne-hathaway-colleen-hoover-1237142838/) ## Den of Geek — David Crow Rating 2/5. 30 September 2026. The critic finds the film trashy and more laughable than frightening, despite its self-aware approach. Anne Hathaway’s cartoonishly villainous performance is the main reason to indulge in the film’s silliness. [Read the review](https://www.denofgeek.com/movies/verity-review-anne-hathaway-winning-streak-to-end/) ## The Playlist — Rodrigo Perez Rating D. 30 September 2026. Perez finds the film’s self-aware, trashy erotic-thriller approach initially entertaining but ultimately unsuccessful. He praises its delirious camp and genre play, while faulting its forced romance and escalating nonsense. [Read the review](https://theplaylist.net/verity-review-dakota-johnson-anne-hathaway-michael-showalter-20260930/) ## Polygon — Maria Loreto Fi1m's normalised score 35/100 (inferred from the text). 30 September 2026. The critic finds the film too controlled and merely serviceable to deliver the wild erotic thriller it promises. Hathaway and Johnson are praised for embracing its trashy fun, while Showalter’s cautious direction and Hartnett’s flat performance hold it back. [Read the review](https://www.polygon.com/verity-review/) ## Digital Spy — Ian Sandwell Fi1m's normalised score 30/100 (inferred from the text). 30 September 2026. Sandwell finds the thriller dull and tonally muddled, despite a more lively final act. He praises Hathaway’s theatrical performance and the foreboding production design of the Crawford house. [Read the review](https://www.digitalspy.com/movies/a73940199/verity-review-anne-hathaway/) ## /Film — Nina Starner Rating 2/10. 30 September 2026. The critic finds the film dull and weighed down by its source material. She praises Anne Hathaway’s performance, saying her timing and expressions provide the film’s saving grace. [Read the review](https://www.slashfilm.com/2273049/verity-review-anne-hathaway-colleen-hoover-movie/) --- © Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL. Our review: https://film.one/film/verity.md