Verity, the film version of Colleen Hoover's thriller, opens in U.S. theaters Friday. Dakota Johnson plays a struggling writer hired to finish a famous author's book series after an accident leaves the author unable to write. While living in the author's house, she finds a secret manuscript full of dark confessions. Anne Hathaway plays the author, and Michael Showalter directed. Hoover self-published the novel in 2018, and it became a hit on BookTok. Critics posted reviews Wednesday morning. The film's Rotten Tomatoes score has slid since then. It stood at 40% on Friday morning. Amazon MGM made the film for $40 million.

1. It's Silly Fun, and the Best Hoover Adaptation Yet

Critics at Screen Rant, HeyUGuys, Time Out, and CBR say the movie knows it's silly and has a good time with it.

This is the best Hoover movie so far. Screen Rant critic Liz Declan gave it an 8 out of 10. She wrote that "it wouldn't be unreasonable to claim this is the best Colleen Hoover adaptation to date." She concluded, "Verity is just plain fun."

Showalter made it silly on purpose, and it works. HeyUGuys critic Linda Marric wrote that "few thrillers wear their silliness as proudly as Verity, and thankfully director Michael Showalter is in on the joke." Time Out critic Larushka Ivan-Zadeh called it "mostly a wild and fun ride." She wrote that the cast "clearly had a right giggle making this – and, for the most part, you will too."

Hathaway holds it together. CBR critic Chris La Vigna gave it a 7 out of 10. He wrote that "it's Hathaway's performance that truly holds the movie together," and that the film "will most likely please fans of Hoover's books."

2. But It's Dull, and It Doesn't Make Sense

Critics at Variety, SlashFilm, The Hollywood Reporter, and The Globe and Mail call it a boring film that falls apart.

The movie is a dud. Variety critic Guy Lodge called it "a flat-footed dud, at once overwrought and underplotted." He wrote that its stars "look either embarrassed, confused or indifferent to be there." Hollywood Reporter critic Richard Lawson wrote that it's "neither sexy nor smart."

Only Hathaway made it watchable. SlashFilm critic Nina Starner gave it a 2 out of 10 and called it "as boring as it is stupid." She wrote that without Hathaway, "there are even odds I would have walked out."

The twists don't add up. Globe and Mail critic Radheyan Simonpillai wrote, "Really, it's just incoherent." New York Post critic Johnny Oleksinski sees it as one more copy of Gone Girl. "Will the attack of the cheap 'Gone Girl' clones never cease?" he wrote.

3. Or It Stuck Too Close to the Book and Played It Safe

Critics at Collider, Mashable, and The AU Review say the film should have been weirder, sexier, and campier.

The film should have embraced how trashy the book is. Rotten Tomatoes' own roundup summed up the reviews this way: the film "isn't as creepy or sexy as it needed to be." AU Review critic Peter Gray wrote, "For once, Colleen Hoover didn't need someone to elevate her material. She needed a filmmaker willing to get down in the dirt with it."

The film holds back. Collider critic Carly Lane gave it a 6 out of 10. She wrote that the film "almost seems afraid to go too campy, creepy, or even overtly erotic." Mashable critic Kristy Puchko wrote, "It's sort of weird, sort of sexy, and sort of funny. But ultimately, it feels criminally constrained by mainstream prudishness."

Sticking to the book left no room for fun. Starner wrote, "There's little to no deviation, which leaves very little room for Showalter to have any fun." The film keeps the book's famous twist ending. It drops one of Verity's three children and a subplot about the ghostwriter's sleepwalking. Showalter said making a movie taught him "how important it is to keep the focus and the momentum."

4. Either Way, Hoover's Fans Will Show Up

Box office watchers say reviews barely matter to Hoover's readers. Her book is back near the top of the charts.

Critics can't stop a Hoover movie. World of Reel's Jordan Ruimy wrote that "Hoover's fanbase is loyal, and 'It Ends With Us' already proved that critics have little influence over this audience." It Ends With Us made $351 million worldwide in 2024.

Last-minute ticket buyers could still beat the forecast. Advance sales in the U.S. trail It Ends With Us. But Deadline reported that Hoover fans buying tickets at the last minute could push the film past its $30 million forecast. Hoover's novel climbed back to No. 2 on Amazon's bestseller chart this week. Variety reported that a first-place finish would give Hathaway her third No. 1 movie of 2026.

Watching the movie gave Hoover second thoughts about her characters. She told E! News the film gave her "food for thought." "I started to find myself feeling sorry for the character I thought was more evil in the book," she said.

Where This Lands

Declan says Verity is the best Hoover movie yet, and Marric says its silliness is the fun of it. Lodge and Starner call it a boring dud, and Starner says she might have walked out without Hathaway. Lane and Gray say it played the book too safe. Many critics praise Hathaway, even some who hated the film. Ruimy says none of it will matter to Hoover's readers. Amazon MGM's own forecast for the weekend is $27 million to $30 million.

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