Spoiler alert: Spoilers for the Verity book and movie follow. Colleen Hoover’s 2018 novel Verity sparked debate among readers due to its dark plot, complex characters, and most prominently, its ambiguous ending. Now, its movie adaptation has reignited the debate, providing fans a chance to revisit questions that made the novel so divisive. The film adaptation of Verity, released Oct. 2, had viewers leaving the theater with plenty to say about what they believed its ending really meant. The film’s interpretation adds new layers to the mystery, encouraging audiences to compare its final moments with the novel, and consider whether the movie offers a clearer explanation — or leaves even more questions unanswered.
The story of Verity follows Lowen Ashleigh (played by Dakota Johnson), who is hired to ghostwrite for bestselling author Verity Crawford (Anne Hathaway) after an untimely accident leaves Verity paralyzed. Lowen is hired by Verity’s husband, Jeremy (Josh Hartnett), who brings her into the family home for inspiration. As she researches, Lowen stumbles upon a manuscript that appears to be a confession by Verity that she killed her own child. This discovery — along with realizing that Verity is not as incapacitated as she looks — leads Lowen to help Jeremy kill Verity, believing her to be a horrible person. The twist is that months later, Lowen returns to the house and discovers a hidden letter written by Verity. In the letter, Verity claimed that her autobiographical manuscript was an exercise to heal from the death of her child and get inside the mindset of a killer for her writing. Lowen realizes that she might have been wrong — that Jeremy, with whom she is now about to have a baby, has been lying to her, and she may have been complicit in an innocent woman’s death.
Fans across social media who have read the book and seen the movie seem to believe the movie’s ending is true to the source material, but still, the new medium in which the ending takes place is giving audiences a new perspective. So, what’s the truth? Was Verity’s manuscript a confession or just a writing exercise? The manuscript vs. letter debate has followed Verity since the novel was first published, and the movie has given fans across social media a new reason to revisit it. On TikTok, viewers have been sharing which side they are on after watching.
Interestingly, some fans who went into the movie already convinced of one side say the film changed their minds. Details they may not have caught on the page took on a different meaning on screen, prompting viewers to reconsider which version of the story they believe.
And then, there are the viewers that are torn and can’t pick a side of the debate at all.
The actors themselves shared their opinions, too.
While some viewers believe the manuscript was a true confession because of its disturbing and detailed account, others see the letter as a convincing explanation and proof that Verity was innocent all along. The film, like the novel, leaves room for both interpretations. As frustrating as it is, ultimately, the Verity ending forces fans to decide amongst themselves. With neither version completely disproven, the mystery remains open, giving viewers plenty to discuss long after the movie ends.