Overview
A young woman's unexpected journey leads her to an unlikely bond that changes both their lives.
Ember's analysis
- Pacing
- Measured
- Intensity
- Moderate
- Complexity
- Easy to follow
- Violence
- Mild
- deadpan
- witty
- melancholic
- indie movie night
- romantic drama night
What critics said
Critics broadly regard the film as a distinctive, emotionally affecting independent romantic comedy elevated by its unusual characters, writing, direction, and performances.
What sets it apart
May contain story progression spoilers
Maria is homeless and pregnant while Matthew is unemployable because of rigid principles; their unlikely partnership gradually becomes emotionally sustaining.
Maria's pregnancy, expulsion from home, and her father's sudden death are presented within Hal Hartley's deliberately offbeat comic style.
Matthew offers Maria concrete help, and both characters change as their relationship tests whether they can rely on one another.
The film's Hal Hartley authorship, deadpan romantic comedy, and unusual outsider characters distinguish it from conventional studio romance.
Films like Trust, and why
Simple Men
offbeat romantic comedy centered on alienated outsiders and sharp, unconventional dialogue
The Unbelievable Truth
quirky, emotionally guarded romance blending deadpan humor with working-class instability
Welcome to the Dollhouse
independent romantic drama about damaged young people forming an unlikely bond amid social dislocation
Movie Details
- Director
- Hal Hartley
- Release Date
- 1990-09-09
- Runtime
- 106 min
- Rating
- 6.8 / 10 (171)
Cast
- Adrienne Shelly
- Martin Donovan
- Rebecca Nelson
- John MacKay
- Edie Falco
- Gary Sauer
- Matt Malloy
- Suzanne Costollos
- Jeff Howard
- Karen Sillas
Common questions
- What is Trust about?
- A homeless pregnant dropout and a principled repairman build an unlikely romance through grief, rejection, and stubborn mutual support.
- What is Trust like to watch?
- Ember's analysis rates the pacing of Trust as measured, its intensity as moderate and its storytelling as easy to follow.
- Is Trust violent?
- Only mildly. Ember rates the violence in Trust as mild.
- What did critics think of Trust?
- Critics broadly regard the film as a distinctive, emotionally affecting independent romantic comedy elevated by its unusual characters, writing, direction, and performances.
- Which films are like Trust?
- Films with a similar feel include Simple Men, The Unbelievable Truth, and Welcome to the Dollhouse.
- How long is Trust?
- Trust runs 106 minutes.
