If even a fraction of the things done to women happened to men, the world would be a decidedly different place. Rather than offered equal respect, they are demeaned and denigrated regularly; expected to take it on the chin without a word because doing so only seems to prove the point in the minds of the aggressors that they were right in the first place instead of them realizing that they’re nothing more than garbage humans. In a world that sees you as little more than fodder for its own needs, who can you trust? This is a core element of the new thriller Trust from filmmaker Carlson Young (Upgraded), written by Gigi Levangie (Stepmom), and staring Sophie Turner (Game of Thrones; Do Revenge). Taking the elements we know from home invasion tales and applying a unique structure, what could be a rote story becomes something with the kind of narrative thematic meat that one wants to gnaw on when things grow a touch too familiar.
Sophie Turner as Lauren Lane in TRUST. Photo courtesy of Republic Pictures.
Beloved star of family program “Meet the Johnsons” Lauren Lane (Turner) finds herself one of many high profile individuals whose digital accounts have been hacked and private materials disseminated to the internet. Needing to clear her head, Lauren heads to a remote house rental where only she and her assistant know where she is. But not all is peaceful as Lauren has to contend with home invaders looking to score quick cash, totally unaware that these gun-toting individuals are the least of her problems.
L-R: Forrest Goodluck as Merg and Gianni Paolo as Marcus in TRUST. Photo courtesy of Republic Pictures.
In a time when techbros think throwing dildos at WNBA players is a clever way to advertise cryptocurrency, let it be known that women are not here for the amusement of anyone. They deserve the same rights to respect and privacy as anyone else, yet, due to some dumb perspective of perceived superiority by men, women are seen as lesser and justifications are easily provided as to why they should be continually humiliated and should just deal with it. It’s all bullshit. All of it. The most distressing thing in Levangie’s script is how mundane it seems to be as Lane suffers a variety of humiliations stemming from a data hack which include, among other things, revelations about her sex life that are no one’s business but her’s. Why is it mundane? Because, due to actual events (such as the massive leak in 2014 crudely dubbed online as “The Fappening”), audiences are more likely to feel a mild form of irritation rather than shock and surprise at this absolute violation of her privacy — a symptom of a larger issue related to the way society has grown accustomed to the perversity and presumptions of sexual predators. Neither Young nor Levangie nor Turner (who executive produces the film) play Lauren as anything less than sincere in the trauma she’s experiencing, all while finding ways to call out the internalized misogyny of those one might presume would have her back and the actual misogyny of those who would paint themselves as greater victims, ignoring Lauren’s *actual* pain and suffering in the process. This is the fertile ground from which the film begins and from which the motivation for the home invasion begins. It’s not just about opportunity (though it is a part), it’s that the criminals, headed by Rhys Coiro’s Darren, see Lauren as a wealthy target who can afford to be ripped off. They don’t see her as a person, but as someone who can handle the loss which will be turned into their own refuge from debts they owe to dangerous individuals. Lauren’s arc is, ultimately, about taking control of her life and this invasion, and all the things that come out of it, represents the ways in which all those who touch her claim ownership, denouncing her personhood in the process.
Billy Campbell as Peter in TRUST. Photo courtesy of Republic Pictures.
What’s particularly fascinating about the film and a protentional area of contention for audiences with certain “home invasion” expectations: Lauren spends most of the film trapped. While events swirl around her, phone calls made, threats voiced, and blood spilt, Lauren is trapped in a utility room that both keeps her safe from direct harm and prevents her from achieving actual safety in the process. Thus, the room becomes a metaphor for Lauren herself, an actor who starred as a child, inference suggesting it was at the direction of her mother versus her own desire, forever playing the part that others want her to play and rarely being able to maintain ownership of it. Even as potential revelations are made toward Lauren’s own impropriety, there’s an argument to be had over Lauren’s own culpability given her susceptibility to influence and the ways in which children can idolize and transfer authority onto others. Viewed in this light, Lauren’s task to survive is as much about saving her life as it is taking back what was stolen from her: the narrative of her life.
Katey Sagal as Loretta in TRUST. Photo courtesy of Republic Pictures.
The structure, however, is also a bit of a weakness as it requires that so much happen outside of the confined space in order to generate and maintain urgency. Turner is quite capable at selling the dire straits Lauren’s in and Levangie finds natural ways to create a reasonable cycle which cultivates stressors and generates solutions that give the audience a sense of progression. The issue is that the world outside the door is absolute chaos, with one lynchpin element being the most unbelievable out of pure happenstance while the rest is totally grounded, even at its most looney. This isn’t to imply that there’s no sense of realism, in fact the ways in which the film so casual calls-back to several historical events in cinema history related to ill-fated women generate the most stable, persistent threat that keeps us on edge when not with Lauren in the room. Even the ways in which the different threads connect to Lauren, violent as they are, make a great deal of sense and are executed in such a way that we don’t question how they play out (somewhat like an Elmore Leonard novel). However, despite all this, somehow, there’s not enough maintained pressure to keep one on the edge of their seat. In particular, what’s clever about the film leans toward predictable when all arcs collide in the final moments of the film, deflating all of the creativity up to that point.
Sophie Turner as Lauren Lane in TRUST. Photo courtesy of Republic Pictures.
Trust is aptly titled because, if people could (openly, freely, and without worry) trust, then nearly all of the trauma that Lauren endures wouldn’t happen. That’s boring for storytellers and audiences alike, sure, but the failures of so many to do right by Lauren, as a child and into adulthood, are what creates this opportunity. Strangers see Lauren as something they have the right to access at all times, co-workers see her as a prop to be traded or replaced when deemed defective, and those closest to her cultivate an atmosphere in which trust is something not reciprocally offered. The horror of the film is the breakdown of civility and the rise of misogyny which strip Lauren of any kind of personhood. Young, Levangie, and Turner do stick the landing, imbuing the film with a rebellious vibe. What a shame it is that this is what rebellion looks like when all it would’ve taken is for someone to see Lauren as more than a tool to use to pick themselves up out of their own mediocrity. But isn’t that how the world sees woman? What a bunch of bullshit.
In select theaters August 22nd, 2025.
For more information, head to the official Republic Pictures Trust website.
Final Score: 3.5 out of 5.
Share this:
Categories: In Theaters, Reviews
Leave a Reply