Trust (FX on Hulu): Inside the True Story, Cast, Plot & Why This Gripping Crime Drama Still Matters

Money can buy power.

Money can buy influence.

But as Trust proves, money cannot buy loyalty, love, or safety.

FX’s critically acclaimed drama Trust is now streaming on Hulu, and if you love prestige storytelling, true-crime retellings, dynastic family sagas, or anything produced by Danny Boyle, this series belongs at the top of your watchlist.

Based on the infamous 1973 kidnapping of John Paul Getty III, heir to the Getty oil fortune, Trust dives into the dark, dysfunctional, and deeply human story behind one of the wealthiest — and unhappiest — families in American history.

This isn’t just a kidnapping tale.It’s a story about privilege, greed, power, neglect, and how a family drowning in wealth can still be starving for connection.

⭐ What Is Trust About? (Plot Overview)

On the surface, Trust is a true-crime drama. But at its core, it’s a multi-layered family saga.

Set in 1973, the series begins with the shocking abduction of John Paul Getty III (Harris Dickinson) by the Italian Mafia after he travels to Rome. His kidnappers assume the Gettys — one of the richest families alive — will immediately pay the ransom.

They assumed wrong.

Because in this family:

• The grandfather (Donald Sutherland) is the richest man in the world… and refuses to spend a penny.

• The father (Michael Esper) is emotionally shattered and unreachable.

• The only person fighting for the teenager’s life is his mother, Gail Getty (Hilary Swank) — and she’s broke.

The series follows:

• the teen’s harrowing ordeal

• Gail’s desperate attempts to negotiate

• the Mafia’s escalating brutality

• the Getty family’s coldness, paranoia, and secrets

• the corrosive power of unimaginable wealth

This is a real-life nightmare wrapped in one of the most powerful dynastic stories ever depicted on television.

⭐ Why Trust Still Hits Hard Today

More than a few years after its debut, Trust continues to resonate because it blends multiple genres into one compelling experience. The series functions as a tense true-crime thriller, a layered family drama, and a sharply observed character study, all wrapped inside a meticulously crafted period piece. Its foundation in real historical events gives the story weight, while the emotional conflicts keep it grounded and painfully human.

Visually, the show is rich and cinematic, capturing both the opulence of the Getty empire and the gritty danger of 1970s Italy. Paired with exceptional performances from a powerhouse cast, the result is a drama that feels both intimate and epic. It appeals to fans of sprawling dynastic sagas like Succession and The Crown, crime thrillers like Narcos, and emotionally charged histories such as All the Money in the World and even The Godfather.

What makes Trust especially enduring is its exploration of universal themes: the corrupting influence of wealth, the fragile bonds within a powerful family, the moral compromises people make to protect their legacy, and the emotional cost of neglect. These ideas echo across the series, making the Getty story feel just as relevant today as it did in the 1970s.

⭐ Meet the Cast of Trust (FX)

One of the most compelling elements of Trust is its exceptional ensemble cast. The series brings together celebrated veterans and rising talent, each adding depth and complexity to the sprawling Getty narrative. Harris Dickinson delivers a breakout performance as John Paul Getty III, capturing both the reckless charm and the vulnerability of a teenager thrust into a nightmare. Opposite him, Donald Sutherland commands the screen as J. Paul Getty Sr., portraying the billionaire patriarch with an icy detachment that is both fascinating and unsettling.

Hilary Swank brings emotional gravity as Gail Getty, the desperate mother fighting an agonizing battle on her own, while Michael Esper portrays J. Paul Getty Jr. with heartbreaking fragility. Brendan Fraser, playing security expert James Fletcher Chace, offers one of the most surprising and nuanced roles of his career — balancing humor, warmth, and quiet intensity in a way that quickly made him a fan favorite.

Rounding out the ensemble are Anna Chancellor, Norbert Leo Butz, Charlotte Riley, and Luca Marinelli, each contributing layers of personality and tension to the story’s web of power, loyalty, and betrayal. Together, the cast elevates Trust from a true-crime drama to a richly textured character study.

⭐ Is Trust Based on a True Story?

Yes — and its grounding in real events is part of what makes the series so gripping. Trust draws directly from the infamous 1973 kidnapping of John Paul Getty III in Rome, one of the most shocking and widely reported cases of its era. Many of the events depicted — including the Mafia’s involvement, the escalating ransom demands, and even the notorious decision to cut off the teenager’s ear — are based on documented fact.

FX adds dramatic perspective and emotional depth, but the core of the story remains strikingly faithful to history. The show captures not only the crime itself but the unsettling family dynamics surrounding it — particularly the Getty family’s refusal to pay, the public scrutiny that followed, and the ripple effects of unimaginable wealth on personal relationships. This blend of authenticity and drama gives Trust a haunting resonance long after the final episode ends.

⭐ Episode Guide: A Closer Look at the Season

The first season of Trust unfolds across ten tightly constructed episodes, each deepening the mystery, tension, and emotional unraveling of the Getty family. The premiere, “The House of Getty,” sets the stage with the kidnapping of John Paul Getty III and the fractured family dynamics that will shape the entire season. In “Lone Star,” Brendan Fraser’s James Fletcher Chace travels to Italy, injecting the investigation with both charm and determination, while “La Dolce Vita” explores the increasingly volatile behavior of the kidnappers as the Gettys refuse to pay.

The story escalates in “That’s All Folks” and “Silenzio,” episodes that highlight the growing desperation on all sides as negotiations falter and loyalties begin to shift. “John, Chapter 11” delivers one of the season’s biggest twists when a corpse surfaces, raising heartbreaking questions about the boy’s fate. The later episodes — “Kodachrome,” “In the Name of the Father,” and the chilling “White Car in a Snowstorm” — delve into the psychological breakdowns, the Mafia’s brutal tactics, and the infamous “ear incident,” one of the most harrowing moments in the real-life case.

The finale, “Consequences,” serves as a powerful coda, tracing the ripple effects of trauma, greed, guilt, and survival across each character’s life. Collectively, the season weaves true-crime tension with intimate family drama, creating a narrative that is both gripping and deeply human.

⭐ Why Trust Is Worth Watching on Hulu Right Now

What makes Trust such compelling television is its ability to operate on multiple levels at once. It is a stranger-than-fiction true story, a sweeping family portrait, and a stylish psychological thriller all wrapped into one. Donald Sutherland and Hilary Swank deliver some of their finest television work, bringing gravitas and emotional clarity to characters navigating impossible circumstances, while Brendan Fraser shines in a rare dramatic role that blends warmth, wit, and moral ambiguity.

The series moves seamlessly between the lush excess of the Getty empire and the gritty danger of 1970s Italy, capturing both the privilege and the peril surrounding the family. Danny Boyle’s cinematic direction adds a propulsive energy, turning the real-life saga into a visually striking, emotionally layered experience. With its mix of Mafia tension, dynastic conflict, and character-driven storytelling, Trust stands out as one of FX’s most overlooked but rewarding dramas.

For fans of prestige series that balance style with substance, it’s a show that grips you from the first episode and refuses to let go.

⭐ Final Thoughts: A Masterful Drama About Power, Pain & Family

Trust remains one of FX’s most underrated achievements — a bold, emotionally charged drama that dives beneath the surface of wealth to expose the fractures that money cannot heal. It blends suspense, heartbreak, dark humor, and sharp social commentary into a story that feels both intimate and epic. The Gettys’ world may be overflowing with unimaginable fortune, but what the series reveals is far more haunting: a family consumed not by poverty, but by absence, denial, and emotional neglect.

Stylishly filmed, brilliantly acted, and rooted in one of the most infamous true stories of the twentieth century, Trust is the rare series that lingers long after the credits roll. All ten episodes are now streaming on Hulu, making this the perfect moment to experience the astonishing saga that captivated headlines — and still resonates today.