Colleen Hoover’s Verity has finally made its way from the page to the big screen, bringing one of the author’s darkest stories to theaters. Directed by Michael Showalter, the psychological thriller stars Anne Hathaway as the titular bestselling author, with Dakota Johnson as struggling writer Lowen Ashleigh and Josh Hartnett as Verity’s husband, Jeremy. 

The movie arrives with plenty of expectations from Hoover’s devoted readership, but critics have already begun debating whether the adaptation fully captures the strange, sexy, and disturbing energy of its source material. And while there is plenty of praise for the movie’s pulpy chaos, some critics believe Verity plays it a little too safe.

The early reviews paint a decidedly mixed picture. Some critics have embraced Verity's glossy, campy qualities, while others argue that it never goes far enough with the bizarre material at its disposal. While most of them have called it a perfect adaptation, it seems it has still failed on the front of thrill, suspense, and erotica.

Critics have talked about everything: the cast's performances, where it succeeds and where it fails, making their opinions a grey picture rather than a clear black or white. The film debuted with 46% rating on Rotten Tomatoes' Tomatometer.

“Hathahate” - Anne Hathaway Reveals How Her Most Difficult Career Chapter Shaped ‘Verity’

The reviews are split, with some calling it entertainingly chaotic while others think it misses the mark as a psychological thriller.

As Verity has arrived, critics find it difficult to pick a side: its either good or bad for them. Critics have voiced the same on the early reactions on Rotten Tomatoes.

" Devoted readers may be pleased to find that much of Hoover’s novel has been rendered here, but the film itself almost seems afraid to go too campy, creepy, or even overtly erotic with its visual styling and script choices — all of which would have resulted in it having a stronger identity," said Collider's Carly Lane.

FlickDirect's Allison Rose said, " Is Verity a fairly accurate adaptation of Hoover’s novel? Yes. Is it a masterful rendition that will make fans happy? Not especially."

In most cases, when a book adaptation hits the perfect notes, it is appreciated all the more but with Verity, that honesty seems to have backfired. Regarding the same, FlickDirect's Rose expanded on her view and said that Showalter staying true to the material is both a "both a blessing and a curse."

"Michael Showalter has made the best Hoover adaptation to date," said Sophia Ciminello, Awards Watch.

If there is one area where the early reviews are considerably more consistent, it is Anne Hathaway’s performance as Verity Crawford.

"If there’s one actually good thing I’ll say about Verity, it is this: Anne Hathaway really is one of the greatest performers of our time," said Nina Starner of Slashfilm.

The rest of the central cast has received a more mixed reception. Some critics felt Dakota Johnson and Josh Hartnett struggled to match Hathaway’s heightened energy, with questions also raised about the chemistry between their characters, Lowen and Jeremy.

Fans and influencers who went for early screenings of the film have pointed how Verity tries so hard to be a cheap copy of Gone Girl, and nevertheless, critics have not shied away from comparing it to the iconic psychological thriller.

" The film adaptation plays out like a good girl doing her best Gone Girl impression, reaching for signifiers of “dark”, “twisted”, feminist erotic thrillers without a full understanding of the darkness of that worldview," said Next Best Picture's Dan Bayer.

So if or not Verity will be it for fans of the book and thrillers will be known on October 2, but one thing is sure: Anne Hathaway is shining bright, and the crowd might have fun with the same, but for the critics, the film played too safe by not getting weirder.

“I’m Going to Vanish”- Anne Hathaway Reveals Her Plans After ‘Verity’ Release

Are you excited for Verity? Let us know in the comments.