Trust

Trust (1990) is Hal Hartley's deadpan indie comedy, free to watch online on iFILM. A pregnant dropout and a furious electronics repairman collide in suburban Long Island.

Maria (Adrienne Shelly) quits school, tells her parents she's pregnant, and within a day loses her boyfriend and her home. Wandering the town, she runs into Matthew (Martin Donovan), a well-read, short-fused TV repairman who carries a live grenade and despises almost everyone he meets. Two awkward, cornered people land on the one thing neither saw coming: mutual respect.

Hartley shoots in his trademark register — flat line readings, absurd exchanges, irony where sentiment usually goes. It's a cornerstone of early-'90s American independent film, with an early bit part for Edie Falco. Made for viewers who click with dry, faintly chilly humor. Stream Trust (1990) online on iFILM.