In the production notes of the twisty new psychological thriller Verity, the imposing Vermont home of the title character is not merely a setting, but rather a fully realized supporting character. Based on Colleen Hoover’s New York Times bestselling novel of the same name, the film adaptation brings the gripping narrative to the screen with Anne Hathaway starring as the enigmatic, gravely injured author Verity Crawford, alongside Dakota Johnson as Lowen Ashleigh, a struggling writer hired to complete Verity’s ghostwriting project.
The story pulls Lowen out of her familiar life in New York City and drops her deep into the isolated woods of rural Vermont. From her very first introduction on screen, sitting at her desk and speaking directly to the camera, Verity sets an unsettling tone. "A writer’s words should be honest and bloody and a little bit terrifying," she announces. As audiences soon discover, bloody and terrifying elements are very much on the horizon.
The secluded Vermont property immediately establishes the film’s haunted atmosphere. This happens despite the earnest efforts of Verity’s husband, Jeremy Crawford, played by Josh Hartnett, who attempts to show Lowen around and help her feel welcome in her new environment. As Lowen begins inhabiting Verity’s former life—starting in her eerie office and quickly extending to her former marital bed—she becomes entirely consumed by the mysterious author’s life and work. Along the way, she uncovers what appears to be a deeply sinister, private autobiography. This discovery forces her to reckon with the real-world implications of a potentially horrifying truth—or verity, as the wordplay suggests.
Yet, despite the narrative’s heavy reliance on the rural Vermont aesthetic, the production did not actually shoot in the Green Mountain State. Instead, the film’s location manager, Elizabeth Krekel, and production designer, Amy Williams, scoured the New York tri-state area to find the perfect villain’s lair. They ultimately selected a striking modern property in Westchester County, New York.
"I was looking for something modern and ominous because that’s how it’s written," Krekel explains in the official production notes. While the general mood of the home was clearly defined in the source material, the physical architecture and specific design details were left largely to the imagination. Williams notes that there were extensive internal discussions about what the house should actually look like because it lacked a detailed physical description in the original novel. The team harbored some initial anxiety that ardent fans of the book might have imagined a more traditional architectural style for the home, but they ultimately decided to take a bold creative leap that helped define the visual identity of the movie.
Describing the underlying dread of the project, Williams remarks that the book is "even more disturbing" when asked about the psychological tension of experiencing the story unfold in a dark theater. To capture this atmosphere, the production crew worked across multiple seasons, filming extensively in upstate New York as well as in and around Manhattan, Brooklyn, and Queens.
Lowen’s bookshop reading
As the film commences, long before the narrative descends into darkness, audiences are introduced to the protagonist, Lowen Ashleigh, in New York City. Operating as a relatively unsuccessful author, Lowen is shown reading an excerpt from her book in the intimate back room of a local bookstore. For Brooklyn residents and local literature enthusiasts, the setting will be instantly recognizable. The scene was filmed at Books Are Magic, an independent bookstore located in the vibrant neighborhood of Carroll Gardens. While visitors to the real-world shop cannot purchase actual titles written by the fictional Lowen Ashleigh, they can easily find a robust selection of Colleen Hoover’s genuine literary works on the shelves.
Lowen’s (not so) meet-cute with Jeremy
Following a promising telephone call from her literary agent, Corey, who is portrayed by Ismael Cruz Córdova, Lowen travels to Midtown Manhattan for a mysterious meeting at the corporate offices of the Hachette Book Group. En route to the appointment, she witnesses a tragic and fatal car crash on the city streets. Immediately after the harrowing incident, her gaze locks with a handsome stranger whom she will soon come to know as Jeremy Crawford.
The chaotic intersection that serves as the backdrop for this tone-setting devastation is located where Park Avenue meets East 41st Street, mere steps away from Grand Central Terminal. Williams notes that the production team deliberately selected one of the city’s busiest and least film-friendly locations for the sequence. The choice immediately drew heavy attention and paparazzi, resulting in a highly documented day of filming, but Williams emphasizes that it provided the exact texture needed to capture the relentless hustle and bustle of Midtown Manhattan.
The Hachette office meeting
Moments after the accident, having cleaned up and donned Jeremy’s oversized, crisp white button-up shirt—buttoned all the way to the top in a choice Lowen defends as pure fashion—the two arrive at the Hachette Book Group headquarters. This sequence was filmed on location at the actual publisher’s offices. Williams expresses amazement that the company granted the production access, noting that Hoover’s story editor facilitated the entire arrangement. The film crew temporarily took over the publishing spaces, redecorating the rooms and lining the walls with framed book jackets featuring fictional titles authored by Verity Crawford. Sharp-eyed fans can also spot a special Easter egg during this sequence, as Colleen Hoover herself makes a brief cameo appearance playing the office receptionist.
A literary meeting over dinner
New York culinary enthusiasts will easily identify the restaurant where Lowen meets with her agent, Corey, to discuss her career. The scene was shot at Rolo’s, a popular dining establishment situated in Ridgewood, Queens. Known widely among locals for its wood-fired polenta bread, scratch-made pastas, and limited-availability burgers, the neighborhood staple makes a brief yet memorable appearance in the film.
The bar where Verity and Jeremy meet in a flashback
As Lowen meticulously examines Verity’s apparent autobiographical writings, key portions of the narrative are brought to vivid life through flashbacks. Among these is the initial encounter between Verity and Jeremy at a chic Manhattan cocktail lounge, where Verity famously wears her signature shade of red. This scene was filmed inside Laissez Faire, a high-end lounge located within the historic Beekman Hotel in the Financial District. The venue was chosen in part because its discreet back-alley exit allowed the characters to slip out seamlessly and disappear into a waiting limousine.
The Crawford Vermont home
The vast majority of the nearly two-hour feature film unfolds within the sprawling walls of the Crawford family residence. Designed by the celebrated Danish sculptor and designer Jens Quinsgaard, the actual property—known as the Beckoning Path house—is a striking modern architectural marvel located in Armonk, New York, functioning ordinarily as a private wellness retreat complete with an indoor swimming pool and a dedicated tai chi studio.
Williams had previously collaborated with director Michael Showalter on two separate projects. When the Verity assignment first arose, she was initially uncertain whether her professional schedule would permit her to join the crew. However, Showalter’s assistant quietly slipped her a series of photographs showcasing the Armonk property under consideration. Upon seeing the images, Williams immediately decided to clear her calendar.
The grand home felt like an organic fit for the material, featuring angular architecture and distinctive V-shaped windows that subtly nodded to the main character’s name. The property owner proved highly accommodating, allowing the art department to redecorate spaces, install temporary walls, and build out custom bookshelves to give the residence the authentic lived-in feel of a successful author’s home. While the production utilized the real kitchen and several existing rooms, other key areas, such as Verity’s private office, were carefully constructed on a dedicated sound stage.
The office environment was treated as a critical creative centerpiece, developed through close collaboration between Showalter and Anne Hathaway, who also worked on the film as a producer. Williams notes that the team wanted to strike a very specific psychological note with the space, aiming for an atmosphere that felt womb-like and feminine, yet simultaneously glamorous. The resulting room functions simultaneously as a Hollywood dream workspace and a sophisticated villain’s lair, heavily accented with reflective surfaces. Williams specifically integrated pink hues into the carpeting and desks to ensure the decor complemented Hathaway’s distinct complexion. Although Williams initially questioned the realism of an author’s private writing retreat containing so few visible books, the inclusion of secret mirrors that swung open to reveal hidden bookcases ultimately aligned with Verity’s secretive nature.
The real-world property also mirrored the psychological themes of the script, evoking the imagery of a shipwreck at sea—a metaphor that holds profound meaning for those familiar with the story’s ultimate twists. In one notable sequence, Verity takes her children out onto the lake situated directly outside the home for a quiet canoe ride. Because the property featured a matching body of water, the crew returned during the summer months specifically to capture the scene, contrasting sharply with the winter conditions under which the majority of the film was shot.
Lowen’s Birthday Dinner
Following a steady escalation of romantic and physical tension, Jeremy takes Lowen out into the nearby town to celebrate her birthday, bringing her to one of her favorite local establishments, a traditional Bavarian restaurant. This scene was brought to life at Zum Stammtisch, a historic German pub serving hearty traditional fare in Glendale, New York. While the original book scene places the characters in an Italian restaurant, Williams notes that the production pivoted to the Queens establishment because of its close proximity to their sound stage. Adding an extra layer of authenticity to the production, the film’s director of photography even stepped in to work as a background waiter dressed in traditional lederhosen.
