the real suspension of disbelief was thinking Lowen would walk away unrepentant: test audiences

'Verity' Had a Much More Twisted Ending. Then Came the Focus Group Screenings

Michael Showalter's adaptation of Colleen Hoover's Verity, starring Anne Hathaway and Dakota Johnson, kept the novel's ending largely intact after test screenings pushed back on it. The book's climax reveals Verity murdered her daughter by capsizing a kayak and faked her paralysis; in the film, Jeremy still kills her. Hoover, who consulted, said the audience "wasn't ready" for Lowen to walk away unrepentant, so the ending was softened. The film is predicted to top the weekend box office.

Source: 'Verity' Had a Much More Twisted Ending. Then Came the Focus Group Screenings — Variety

Watch: the original footage ↗

A daily AI-made news meme from Jester · Oct 2, 2026.

Topics: verity · annehathaway · dakotajohnson · erotthriller · movienews · boxoffice