‘Trust’ (2025) Review – Topical And Smart Thriller Spotlights Our Celebrity Culture

Locked in a house. Intruders on the prowl. It is a night of terror and pure survival for one woman. Trust is nothing new when it comes to a cabin thriller. However, the performances and layers add more to this film than a typical cat-and-mouse. This film is an adrenaline rush. It lulls us in slowly, but cranks up the anxiety and funnels in the terror.

Lauren Lane (Sophie Turner) is a Hollywood starlet and makes her name on a popular TV show, The Johnsons. However, when a scandal erupts, she retreats to a remote cabin to escape the press scrutiny and gossip. Her solitude is broken when intruders invade the cabin. Betrayed by her co-star and confidant, Peter (Billy Campbell), Lauren becomes trapped in a brutal game of survival. 

While much of the film centers on Lauren’s fight for survival, there is an equally compelling B storyline that ultimately intersects with the whole affair. Katey Sagal plays Loretta, a volunteer at a dog shelter. She comes to the aid of Lauren’s dog, Georgie, after the intruders arrive and the dog becomes lost. Pursued by those who wish to do Lauren harm and make her pregnancy story a non-issue, Georgie and Loretta become MVPs of the whole affair. 

Now, there is some contrivance to the plot and a quasi-Lassie element to Georgie, but ultimately these moments allow for an intricate story that builds towards a riveting climax. What the film lands on is the central story of survival. At times, the movie does fall through the trap door of over-the-top, but the sincerity of the performances and harrowing aspects make up for any of these shortcomings. 

Trust is a compelling story, in part because the elements of most interest have little to do with Lauren and her captors in the cabin. Lauren, an actress who finds herself in the crosshairs of scandal and gossip, serves an intriguing exposé on how the media works in the 21st century. When she finds herself vulnerable to a hacker, her social media and personal life become front-page news. She is pregnant with her co-star’s baby, which only adds to this intersection of fame and gossip.

The film becomes a larger story than a game of cat-and-mouse. The way the media and, in turn, the public treat celebrity scandals is put on full display. In addition, the pregnancy and off-screen, secret relationship between Lauren and Peter illustrates the power dynamics and imbalances that have been in the headlines since the dawn of Me Too. 

Some intricate subplots and storylines weave together an impactful thriller that is much more topical than it is imagined. Sophie Turner largely headlines this film, spending much of her time confined to the flooded furnace room in the back of the cabin. Her story becomes much more than immediate survival, but one of true grit and determination. Turner is indomitable, being able to convey a Hollywood star in trouble and an embattled survivor.  

The movie is gripping because it refuses to dumb down the situation. The story weaves a web of situations, ranging from blackmail to character assassination to attempted murder. It is a survival story on a multitude of levels. There is the immediate, Lauren being locked in the cabin, fighting for her life and unborn child. The second is the survival of her career and reputation. 

Trust is far from a wholly original film, particularly in the thriller genre. However, its strength lies more in the themes and subtext. The quiet strength of Lauren amid horrific circumstances is palpable, as is the study of fame and its price. For someone in the constant glare of the spotlight, the film’s ultimate point becomes less about trusting the process and more about trusting oneself. 

Trust will debut in select theaters on August 22, 2025, courtesy of Republic Pictures.