VERITY
Starring: Anne Hathaway, Dakota Johnson, Josh Hartnett, Brady Wagner, and Ismael Cruz Cordova
Director: Michael Showalter
NICK
As a Josh Hartnett fan and Dakota Johnson defender, Verity was a rough night at the movies for me. There is nothing redeemable about this film. In fact, I spent most of its runtime thinking about whether there were any films this year I enjoyed less and was unable to come up with one. Everything from the dialogue and wooden performances to the bad music-video style shots and uninspired score is painful to sit through (and almost beat for beat The Housemaid). I don’t even know what else to say other than this is a true contender for my worst film of 2026.
BODE
2026 has truly been the year of Anne Hathaway, with a total of five features showcasing her seemingly endless range as an actress. I only wish Verity ended her run on a high note. Luckily, she comes out unscathed. Bringing the right amount of theatricality to her titular unreliable narrator, the film occasionally comes to life whenever she’s on screen, promising a trashier, more unhinged picture. Sadly, it’s too stiff and listless to ever be such, even with some ridiculous late-game twists. Even co-stars Dakota Johnson and Josh Hartnett seem a bit lost. At the very least, they all look really attractive.
ADRIANO
Can I like a movie that I enjoyed because the enjoyment was at the movie's expense? Don’t get it twisted, Verity is terrible and made me laugh a lot. That was not the goal. It tries to be a psychosexual thriller that tackles impulse and trust, delivering its final note with an unironic Hot Ones clip. Instead, it’s unintentionally hilarious and comes off as a trashy soap opera with stiff performances from Dakota Johnson and Josh Hartnett, alongside Volker Bertelmann ruining another movie with his overbearing score. So yes, I can find joy in garbage, but it’s ultimately still garbage.
