Critic Reviews

Trust has its own flaws, but it also has that blend of true crime, macabre comedy, the foibles of the rich and famous, and social issues that made The People v. O.J. so addictive.

Trust is frenetically entertaining, but there’s something insurmountably icky, if uncomfortably true, about its premise: Wealth makes people more interesting. The Gettys’ money makes them grotesque, but it also makes them spellbinding.

Trust is a strong addition to [the FX] lineup, although it’s unclear whether the Getty mess--all the misery and excess--will remain engaging enough to maintain interest for 10 episodes. Given the skills of Beaufoy and Boyle, I trust that it will.

These productions are different from, but equal to each other. Neither is an all-timer, but the performances are strong--in particular, Donald Sutherland as the eldest Getty, and Brendan Fraser as a cowboy-styled fixer named Fletcher Chase--and there are enough momentary fascinations to hold the viewer’s interest during slack sections. Both productions are funnier and more engaging than you might expect.

With just three episodes granted to critics, it’s hard to anticipate where this imaginative history piece will go. But for once, this is a story that feels like it might be worth the investment. It’s offering multiple thematic layers for entry--including a pretty bonkers magical realist layer, starring an apparently omniscient statue-performer, that maybe has to be seen to be believed. But maybe best of all, Trust offers a plot with significant dramatic stakes, even if the end is already a foregone conclusion.

Trust at times seems about as factually accurate as the “B.C.” comic strip, and Boyle’s visual affectations and his over-reliance on split-screens do not always serve the story well. (He directed the first three episodes.) .. Whatever Trust’s hold on the facts, it more than makes up for in its performances.

The premium cast elevates Trust from a good TV series to an absorbing, cinematic venture.

Trust often feels made up, and that’s intentional. Beaufoy and fellow executive producer Danny Boyle, who directed the first three episodes, adopt a slyly sardonic tone throughout the story as it unfolds through shifting time periods. With so many morally bankrupt characters, the slightly humorous tone leavens the mood a bit. The performances are captivating.

Trust adds to the conversation rather than repeating it. You can count on its pulpy drama, even if the fictional Gettys couldn't count on each other.

It’s a pretty good wallow so far, a real-life Dallas or Dynasty whose more diabolical Ewings and Carringtons swallowed their enemies and family members whole when they weren’t simply spitting them out.