I literally only watched this because Anne Hathaway was in it, and knowing it was based on a Colleen Hoover book, I forced myself to actually go to the theater. Turns out, yep, it really was that mid😭 I genuinely wonder why the producers chose to adapt this particular book out of all the books Colleen has written. Some people say the book is actually more intense, but idk since I haven't read it myself. Either way, this adaptation feels so half-baked in every possible way. This is such a shallow thriller honestly. I'll give it credit for maintaining that sensual, unsettling, and thrilling atmosphere through its BGM throughout the entire movie, but there's barely any solid reasoning behind the story or the characters' decisions and thought processes. The initial premise was actually so interesting, though! Exploring the dark side of the bestselling author world? Sign me up. And there's this one particular idea about how Verity, as a bestselling author, incorporates her own 'dark' mindset into her work that I found genuinely interesting. Too bad the execution doesn't live up to the potential. The twists just keep coming, but they're all so predictable and not a single one genuinely shocked me. I swear, visually this movie is an A+ because EVERYONE IS SO HOT (ahem, Dakota & Josh Hartnett omg). But honestly, Anne Hathaway is the one carrying this entire movie on her back. Her performance is proof that she's genuinely such a versatile actress who doesn't just rely on her looks to get by! This year alone, we've seen her play a wise queen, a brave mother, a pop diva with a twisted mind, and a curious fashion journalist whose iconic character she's managed to bring back with the same charm as always. And now she's giving us another side of herself as a bestselling author with a seriously dark side. SHE'S GENUINELY SCARY IN THIS ONE Y'ALL. SUCH A SUPERSTAR🤩🤪 And please, Dakota Johnson with that ONE facial expression throughout the entire movie...😭 I'm sorry, but she was so outmatched by Anne as a scene partner. Like, yes, she's gorgeous, I get it, but the acting was just...there.