Lamar Reviews - "Verity" (Airdate 10/16/2026)

 

I know it is a shock, but Ann Hathaway is in yet another movie this year. That makes five in total, and yet we are not tired of her, at least I’m not. She is the only thing that makes this movie worth watching, for me anyway. I told my wife Carla, who didn’t see it, I was not going to tell her about the movie because she might like it. And some of you might also like it. I will explain that later in the review.

The movie also stars Dakota Johnson and Josh Hartnett. I thought this was going to be a mind-bending thriller, until a ridiculous meet-cute, make that meet-weird, that was unworthy of even a Hallmark Christmas movie. It involves a car, a bike, lots of blood and a clean white shirt.

Dakota Johnson plays Lowen Ashleigh, a not really successful writer, who writes about serial killers. She’s not making any money, her mother just died, and she is being evicted from her apartment. Then she gets a call from her agent. The most popular author of the last decade, Verity Crawford, played by Anne Hathaway, has been badly injured in a car accident, and they need a ghost writer to finish writing the books in her series. The person that is hiring her is Verity’s husband Jeremy, played by Josh Hartnett. Lowen is hesitant for multiple reasons, but when the offer gets to $500,000, she takes it. To successfully duplicate her writing style Lowen needs access to her notes. She moves in with Verity and Jeremy along with their son Crew and Verity’s caretaker.

A catatonic wife, handsome husband, beautiful mountain house, all set the stage for forbidden romance, but of course unlike that Hallmark Christmas movie, there is huge twist coming. Just not a good one.

The movie is a couple of minutes short of 2 hours, Rated-R for sexual content, some nudity, language, violence and bloody images.

There is not much for Hathaway to do until Lowen finds an autobiographical manuscript. As she reads, Hathaway narrates the backstory of Jeremy and Verity.

As Lowen gets deeper into the story of Jeremy and Verity, she sees Verity look at her, which is impossible. Is it her guilty imagination coming from her fantasies about Jeremy, or is it real?

One of the greatest lines in the movie is when Jeremy and Lowen are out to dinner before they consummate the adulterous affair. Jeremy looks at Lowen and says “what is wrong? You look unhappy.” Lowen replies, “I have resting boredom face.” I think what she meant was, this is my acting face, it is the same one I use in every movie.

Anne Hathaway, being completely comatose, gave a better acting performance than the rest of the cast. Her eyes speak volumes, in the few flashback scenes her elegance and smile take your breath away.

Earlier, I said some of you might like this. If you approach it expecting Lifetime and Hallmark, you won’t be disappointed. But the twist in the last 13 minutes is nothing less than ridiculous!

My Score: 3 Buds. Without Hathaway barely 2