Michael Showalter's film adaptation of Colleen Hoover's novel Verity delivers a complex psychological thriller, complete with escalating sexual tension and a shocking final twist. The movie centers on Lowen Ashleigh, a writer struggling to make ends meet, who is offered a life-changing opportunity by Jeremy Crawford, the husband of the renowned author Verity Crawford. The proposal involves completing Verity's popular book series, accompanied by a substantial payment and a move into the Crawfords' isolated Vermont mansion.
As Lowen settles into the grand home, she and Jeremy begin to develop romantic feelings for each other. Meanwhile, Verity, confined to the house due to a debilitating car accident, remains a presence within the residence. While working on Verity's unfinished manuscript, Lowen discovers a hidden document in the author's office. This unearthed text purports to reveal Verity's deepest secrets, including a profound lack of affection for her children and a disturbing resentment towards them.
The manuscript's most disturbing claim is that Verity intentionally caused the boating accident that led to her daughter's death. Lowen, increasingly suspicious, eventually places a baby monitor in Verity's room. This device captures evidence suggesting Verity has been exaggerating the extent of her paralysis.
Convinced by the manuscript's contents and Verity's apparent deception, Jeremy, in a fit of rage, kills his wife. Lowen, present during the act, guides him on how to conceal the murder from authorities. Together, they dispose of Verity's body in a nearby lake, aiming to bury the truth.
A year later, Jeremy and Lowen are expecting their first child, and the posthumous release of Verity's book proves to be a commercial success. With their new life on the horizon, they prepare to leave the mansion behind. However, as Lowen packs, she discovers a letter hidden beneath a loose floorboard in the child's bedroom. This letter, penned by Verity and addressed to her son, reveals a drastically different truth.
Verity explains that the manuscript Lowen found was merely a creative writing exercise, an attempt to inhabit the mind of a villain to better craft her characters. She intended it only for her personal use. Crucially, the letter also implicates Jeremy, stating that he drugged her, leading to the car accident and her subsequent paralysis. Verity claims she was faking the severity of her injuries to protect herself and her son from Jeremy, planning to escape with him when the opportune moment arose.
This final revelation completely upends the film's narrative. The monster Lowen believed Verity to be was, in fact, a fabrication. The true antagonist, the letter suggests, is Jeremy, whose manipulative actions are exposed. The movie concludes with Jeremy calling Lowen, ready to depart. Lowen, wiping away tears, conceals the letter and joins him, their relationship continuing under the shadow of these newly revealed truths.