You may be tempted to grab the remote while watching “Verity.”
The psychological thriller, spun from Colleen Hoover’s tome of the same name, is the kind of fare Netflix delivers without embarrassment.
It’s Potboiler 101, a guilty pleasure with pretty people acting in ways that don’t make much sense. Darned if you don’t expect a “next episode” tab to appear on the lower right part of the screen.
But “Verity” is a feature film, with all the accompanying bells and whistles. That means it lands differently, but the results are the same.
It’ll insult your intelligence, and you won’t mind a whit.
Lowen Ashleigh (Dakota Fanning) is a published author who can’t draw a crowd at the local bookstore. She takes it in stride, but she’s still wary of an offer that could make her not famous but certainly richer.
A publisher wants her to ghostwrite the next novel by best-selling scribe Verity Crawford (Anne Hathaway, slumming in genre fare). Poor Verity has suffered some sort of medical event, but the publisher wants to keep churning out her signature stories.
Lowen agrees, in part, thanks to Verity’s hunky hubby Jeremy (Josh Hartnett) who thinks she’s perfect for the job. The two memorably met in the film’s opening moments.
You’ve heard of those “meet-cute” rom-com scenes? This one’s a “meet-bloody” affair.
Ick.
The medical event in question has left poor Verity in a vegetative state. She can’t speak and barely moves. Meanwhile, Lowen is spending more and more time with Jeremy at the stately Crawford estate, piecing together Verity’s notes to continue her work.
What could go wrong? Do you need to even ask?
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“Verity” wears its gal-friendly storytelling on its sleeve. Lowen starts to like living like the comatose author, down to wearing her haute couture dresses. Jeremy, the loyal husband, suddenly has a smart, attractive Verity look-alike in the house 24/7.
You won’t need a crystal ball to see where “Verity” is going, but Johnson and Hartnett work well together, and it’s never dull waiting for the obvious shoe to drop. Eyes, get ready to roll.
Hathaway’s role should be microscopic given her character’s infirmity, but the film indulges in a fictionalized flashback trick that sheds light on the Crawfords’ marriage. It also tees up the suspenseful third act based on a nagging question.
Does it take a monster to write monstrous characters?
“Verity” has a few undeniable “gotcha” thrills, and Johnson remains a low-key presence that’s perfect for material like this. “Madame Web” stands as the opposite example.
The film could have gone the Full Camp or attempted a reality-based narrative. Director Michael Showalter, a comic actor turned director, goes for the middle lane. It’s smart on paper but often exasperating.
Just when the leads convince us there’s something meaty at stake, another silly revelation pulls the rug out from under them. And us.
“Verity” should split moviegoers down the middle. Either you accept the pulpy premise, and the groan-worthy twists, or you don’t.
Just know there’s no “back button,” let alone a remote, in theaters if you regret your choice.
HiT or Miss: 2.5 out of 5 stars
Genre: Psychological thriller/mystery
Runtime: 1 hour, 54 minutes
Where to Watch: In theaters Oct. 2
Family Friendly? Sexual situations. Adult language and violence. R