Verity (2026) Opening Weekend Review + Spoilers: That Shocking Ending Explained

Anne Hathaway as Verity Crawford in the 2026 psychological thriller film Verity.

Can we acknowledge that Anne Hathaway is having her way at the box office this year?

I literally just walked in the door from going to see Verity and I knew I had to get my thoughts out before they left me. First and foremost, I am guilty of not appreciating Anne Hathaway throughout the years as an actress. But between being a huge fan of the Devil Wears Prada franchise and now having seen Verity, I can confidently say that Anne is slowly becoming one of my favorite actresses and I’m almost embarrassed that I’m so late to the party.

Anne Hathaway's 2026 movies, including The Devil Wears Prada alongside Meryl Streep as Miranda Priestly and the 2026 movie Verity.

So, let’s talk about this Verity film. Verity is a psychological thriller starring Anne Hathaway as Verity Crawford, Dakota Johnson as Lowen Ashleigh, and Josh Hartnett as Jeremy Crawford. Lowen is a struggling writer who uncovers dark, sinister secrets after taking a job as a ghostwriter for bestselling author, Verity, who was left incapacitated by an accident. When you’re dealing with psychological thrillers, it’s clear that things are never going to be what they seem, but it’s trying to put the pieces together throughout the movie that will have you on the edge of your seat.

Just to be clear, I haven't read the book. The movie was my very first introduction to Verity, so if you’ve read Colleen Hoover's original novel, drop your thoughts in the comments on how it compares.

The main cast of the 2026 film adaptation of Colleen Hoover's Verity features Anne Hathaway, Dakota Johnson, and Josh Hartnett.

As for the vibe check in the theater, it wasn’t packed at all. The audience was mostly women (with a few guys sprinkled in who love a good psychological thriller; shoutout to you), and the energy in the room was chill. Being a cozy fall girlie, October is prime time for spooky season thrillers, and the rainy weather outside made for the absolute perfect movie day.

⚠️ SPOILERS AHEAD: Stop reading here if you haven't seen Verity yet!

Verity 2026 blood scene with Lowen Ashleigh and Jeremy Crawford.

The Bloody Commute & A Very Awkward Meet

The first gasp I experienced was when Lowen was headed to her meeting at the beginning of the film and that bicyclist got hit by a car, splattering blood all over her. I mean, experiencing that level of trauma on the way to an important career meeting would have sent me straight back home. Like, let’s try this again tomorrow, okay? But she pushed through, which was honestly very brave of her. Also, what are the chances that the stranger who stepped in to help her clean up in the bathroom turned out to be the very client she was meeting with? Exchanging trauma stories before walking into a high-stakes board room was awkward, but it also gave Lowen immediate insight into Jeremy and the heavy circumstances she was about to step into, especially since she was going to be staying at these people’s house.

Dakota Johnson as Lowen Ashleigh in the 2026 film Verity.

Crossing the Privacy Line

When Lowen discovered the drive with Verity’s unfinished manuscript on it, she only read a little bit at first. You could tell it made her uncomfortable, like she felt she was invading Verity and Jeremy’s privacy. But when she asked Jeremy about how they met, she clearly did this to see if what she was reading was real. Once their stories matched up, it was almost hard for her to put it down because it gave her so much insight into their relationship.

The Facade Slips

When you see Verity go from being this completely sane mobile author giving interviews to being seemingly paralyzed, you instantly feel bad for her and knew something more had to be going on. But when Lowen gets more into Verity’s manuscript from her own words, you realize very quickly that Verity is not who she portrays herself to be.

Image depicting newborn feet that supports the story of Verity Crawfords struggles as a mother in the 2026 movie Verity.

Sympathy and Suspicion as a New Mom

I think it was very easy to sympathize with her as a new mom who seems to have been maybe dealing with some postpartum and having a hard time accepting the fact that she and Jeremy’s relationship/marriage changed once they had kids. But once she started alluding to hurting her kids even as they got older, I was like wait a minute now. At one point I even thought she may have been jealous of her daughter and how Jeremy seemed to have been showing more affection to her than Verity. I thought that may have been why she “killed her daughter.”

The Second Gasp (The Head Turn)

The second gasp was when Lowen caught Verity turning her head to look directly at her. Mind you, this is a woman who is supposed to be paralyzed and immobile. That obviously made Lowen want to investigate more into what was really going on around there.

Lowen Ashleigh and Jeremy Crawford in the 2026 movie Verity.

Slippery Slopes & Trauma Bonding

I completely felt that Lowen and Jeremy crossed the line when they started being intimate with one another. It’s always a slippery slope in these psychological thrillers when the guest of the house starts spending too much time with the husband and they start trauma bonding. I think this is when Lowen started to want this life for herself, especially when she started to read how Verity admitted to killing her own daughter. She no longer felt bad for her and even told Verity verbatim, I’m coming for your life because you don’t deserve it.

Anne Hathaway as Verity Crawford with a glass of wine.

The Ultimate Twist Experiment

Finding out this was all an experiment to basically see how immersed an author can get their readers into their work, so much so that they believe everything they read, only for it to backfire on all the characters, was wild. Especially considering the fact that in the movie it was mentioned that Jeremy hadn’t read any of Verity’s follow-up novels after the first one, but ironically, he stumbled upon the experimental manuscript where things were made to look one way but were the opposite, so he really thought Verity had killed their daughter.

Lowen Ashleigh reading Verity Crawford's Hospitality book.

The Dark Minds of Creators

Even prior to seeing this movie and being a fan of thrillers and horror films, I’ve always thought it was rather interesting how dark an author or creator’s mind has to be able to go to create these stories, movies, and shows. The film does a really good job of showing how this can affect the reader’s mind.

The real Verity Crawford book by Colleen Hoover.

Final Thoughts: Anne Hathaway's Range & That Mind-Bending Ending

Overall, this movie completely delivered on the psychological tension. Can we just acknowledge again that Anne Hathaway is having her absolute way at the box office this year? Going from her classic performance in The Devil Wears Prada to a chilling, complex role in Verity perfectly showcases her incredible range as an actress. The whole setup really put me in the mind frame of Freida McFadden's The Housemaid, where the story is crafted to make you believe one thing, only for the truth to be the complete opposite of what you expected. Also, can I quickly mention that I fully expected Lowen and Verity looking so much alike to be a huge plot point? I was convinced that resemblance was going to lead to a crazy twist.

Anyway, I'll leave it there, so I don't give away all the goods! Go check it out in theaters while its opening weekend and come back and drop your thoughts in the comments. Let's chat about it!