Verity: Did Lowen master the plot?

The thriller 'Verity,' starring Anne Hathaway and Dakota Johnson, features a complex ending that was almost even more surprising. Director Michael Showalter disclosed that an earlier version of the film presented an alternate ending where Lowen, played by Johnson, was revealed as the potential mastermind behind the events.

In this discarded conclusion, Lowen, after discovering a letter from Verity, was poised to be the true villain. However, test screenings indicated that audiences were not prepared to embrace such a dark turn for the character. They preferred Lowen to express remorse rather than exhibiting manipulative tendencies.

Showalter explained that the decision to abandon this darker ending was made because the audience's emotional response was crucial. The filmmakers ultimately opted for an ending that resonated more with the viewers' readiness to accept Lowen's potential guilt, rather than her embracing a role as the ultimate manipulator.