If your idea of a good movie night involves sexy-psychological whiplash, then put away your reading glasses and grab yourself some popcorn because Amazon Studios has officially brought Colleen Hoover’s viral bestseller Verity to life, and let us just say it puts the thrill back in thriller.
Based on Hoover’s wildly popular page-turner of the same name, the film follows struggling writer Lowen Ashleigh, played with wide-eyed caution by Dakota Johnson, who is hired by the grieving husband Jeremy Crawford, a brooding and magnetic Josh Hartnett, to finish the remaining books of his incapacitated, bestselling wife, Verity Crawford (Anne Hathaway).
Most of the claustrophobic chaos unfolds inside a jaw-dropping, ultra-modern glass-and-wood architectural masterpiece nestled in the woods, a stunning property that looks like a dream home until you realise every shadow is hiding a secret. Things take a delightfully sinister turn when Lowen uncovers an unpublished, deeply disturbing autobiography penned by Verity herself, portrayed with chilling perfection by Anne Hathaway, that paints a horrific picture of the household she is stepping into.
As a cinematic adaptation, it is fair to say the film is just okay and certainly will not be sweeping the major Academy categories anytime soon, but goodness gracious, it is an absolute blast.
The director steers this chaotic ship through some very strange twists and turns, diving headfirst into twisty territory that keeps you constantly guessing who is manipulating whom. It might not be high art, but it is a deliciously messy night out at the flicks played with real passion by some of our best actors.
While plot holes are as wide as the lake that these characters gaze out on, by the time the credits roll on that wonderfully ambiguous, mind-bending final note, you and your mates will be arguing animatedly in the foyer trying to figure out what really happened.
– The Plus Ones
