10 Erotic Thrillers to Watch After Verity

Verity, the new film starring Anne Hathaway and Dakota Johnson, expands the erotic thriller genre by blending literary intrigue with psychological tension. The story centers on a ghostwriter entangled in the life of a reclusive author and her husband, echoing classic tropes of infiltration and hidden motives. The film’s theatrical release marks a resurgence of interest in the genre, which has roots in 1980s and 1990s cinema but now finds new audiences through platforms like BookTok.

The genre’s origins trace back to Alfred Hitchcock’s Rebecca, where an unnamed protagonist navigates a haunted marriage and the specter of a deceased first wife. Henri-Georges Clouzot’s Les Diaboliques, released in 1955, further cemented the formula with its tale of a murder plot among a love triangle at a decaying boarding school. Both films exemplify the genre’s reliance on suspense, repressed sexuality, and the blurred line between victim and perpetrator.

Curtis Hanson’s The Hand That Rocks the Cradle (1992) mirrors Verity’s premise by featuring a woman who infiltrates a family under a false identity. The film’s protagonist, Peyton Flanders, adopts a new persona to manipulate her target, a theme echoed in Verity’s exploration of deception and control. The inclusion of Julianne Moore in a supporting role adds depth to the narrative’s psychological layers.

Modern erotic thrillers like Fair Play (2023) update the genre’s workplace settings to critique contemporary gender dynamics. The film, directed by Chloe Domont, follows a couple whose professional ambitions strain their relationship, reflecting the genre’s shift toward sharper social commentary. Dakota Johnson’s role in Verity also underscores the genre’s ties to her Fifty Shades trilogy, which borrowed heavily from erotic thriller conventions.