Verity

Based on Colleen Hoover's bestselling novel of the same name, the film has been directed by Michael Showalter, who keeps the suspense alive through a steady stream of twists, secrets and revelations.

Dakota Johnson plays Lowen Ashleigh, a struggling writer who gets an unexpected opportunity when she is hired to complete the bestselling series of Verity Crawford, a successful author who is now bedridden and unable to continue writing. Verity's husband Jeremy and her publishers want Lowen to take over the series, but there's a catch: she has to move into the Crawford family home in Vermont and go through Verity's work — her manuscripts, notes, documents and everything she has left behind.

The house itself becomes an important part of the storytelling. Beautiful, grand and occasionally eerie, it adds another layer to the film. Verity is also a reminder of how much production design and set design can contribute to a thriller. The Crawford home doesn't just provide a backdrop; it becomes part of the mood of the film.

As Lowen starts going through Verity's writing, she discovers something deeply disturbing — a manuscript containing confessions about a tragic episode that changed the Crawford family forever.

And from there, the film keeps pulling you deeper. Just when you think you understand what is happening, another twist comes along. Then another. You keep wondering where the story is going, who you can trust and what is actually true. By the time you reach the ending, you may walk out of the theatre with your own interpretation of what really happened.

That is what works so well here. At its heart, Verity is about three characters, and the film stays closely invested in them. They are good-looking, charismatic actors, but more importantly, they bring enough mystery and tension to keep you interested in their relationships.

The sensuality is also handled effectively. When the film wants to be intimate, it doesn't hold back. The chemistry between the characters gives those moments an intensity that keeps you watching.

There are lies, cheating, betrayal, secrets and some genuinely effective jump scares. But what holds everything together is the performances.

Dakota Johnson is excellent. She brings the vulnerability and intensity that Lowen needs, but what I particularly liked were the quieter moments. When she is speaking, you often feel like she is thinking before she says the next line. Those pauses create tension because you're sitting there wondering what she is going to say — and what she may have just discovered.

Anne Hathaway elevates the film as Verity. Whether she is playing the successful bestselling author in the early portions or the bedridden woman whose presence hangs over the entire story, she makes sure your eyes stay on her whenever she is on screen.

Josh Hartnett is also very good as Jeremy. His character constantly leaves you wondering: Can you trust him? Is he hiding something? Is there something about him that you haven't figured out yet?

That's exactly what you want from a psychological thriller. It's so much fun when you don't know what's real and what isn't. And Michael Showalter keeps all of it moving without losing the central mystery.

If you enjoy psychological thrillers, this is a film I would recommend watching on the big screen. Go have fun!