Trust Me

Howard, a down-on-his-luck talent agent for child actors, loses a client to a more successful rival, Aldo Stankas. The setback leaves him scrambling for a comeback. Then he encounters a remarkable thirteen-year-old named Lydia who immediately takes a liking to him.

Lydia is drawn to Howard's energy and sees in him a potential mentor. Howard senses a rare opportunity to steer a prodigy toward real success. The connection begins to tilt the balance of his career.

Lydia's father, Ray, harshly warns Howard to keep his distance from his daughter. He views Howard's involvement as a threat to Lydia and to the family's control over her career. The tension sets up a dangerous dynamic around Lydia's future.

Howard makes an effort to move on by arranging a date with his neighbor, Marcy. The plan hints at Howard's longing for normalcy away from the cutthroat agency world. The moment also foreshadows Lydia's influence over him.

Lydia receives an offer to audition for a lead role in a forthcoming big-budget series based on a popular vampire novels franchise. The opportunity promises enormous exposure and money if she lands the part. Howard negotiates the deal on her behalf, signaling his growing role.

Lydia tells the producers that Howard is her agent, and he negotiates a lucrative deal for her. The film's potential becomes a turning point for both Lydia and Howard's careers. The producers begin to respect him, at least publicly.

As the discussions heat up, the father and producers try to dump Howard in favor of Aldo. Lydia refuses to abandon her advocate, showing her loyalty to the man who helped her land the audition. The setback deepens Howard's resolve to protect her.

While rehearsing lines with Lydia before the audition, Howard reaches for her arm and is stunned by her angry, defiant reaction. The moment hints at deeper personal issues behind her professional poise. Howard begins to realize he might be stepping into something dangerous.

Howard travels to the hotel room Lydia shares with her father to deliver signed contracts and finds Lydia sobbing on the bed as Ray showers. The disturbing scene convinces him that Lydia might be suffering abuse. His protective instincts push him toward a drastic decision.

Howard discusses the grim discovery with Marcy, who knows a family-law attorney. They worry that removing Lydia from her father could derail the film deal and cost Lydia the money she would need for independence. The stakes become legal and financial as well as personal.

Howard hires a lawyer to petition for Lydia's emancipation from her father. He publicly accuses Ray of molesting Lydia, a charge Ray denies, insisting Lydia was abused by a former agent earlier. To avert potential charges and keep the film deal intact, Ray agrees to emancipation.

On the day of the press conference to announce the movie's cast, Lydia has vanished from Howard's apartment and heads to Grauman's Chinese Theatre for the event. She appears at the conference wearing a highly sexualized outfit and a new manager, Aldo, by her side. Howard pursues the truth as rumors swirl about her motives.

Lydia explains that she needed to be rid of her father due to his drunkenness and that his control cost her a previous role. She also implies she lied about her father's abuse and confirms Ray's story about a former agent's abuse. Howard responds with confusion, admitting he doesn't know what to believe.

As they enter the theater, Ray forces through security and, in a struggle, grabs a guard's gun. The gun goes off, and Howard is shot. Lydia and Marcy rush to him, cradling him as he dies.

Howard dies in Lydia and Marcy's arms, but in his final moment he imagines himself sprouting wings and taking flight like a character from the film. The fantasy moment provides a poignant, hopeful contrast to the tragedy surrounding his career and life. It seals his struggle with the industry's darkness and his longing for transcendence.