Presumed Innocent Review (2024): Jake Gyllenhaal is Fantastic in This Gripping Watch

– No Spoilers –

When Prosecutor Carolyn Polhemus turns up brutally murdered, fellow star Prosecutor Rusty Sabich is arrested when his affair with her comes to the surface. Shocked at the heinous crime, grappling with losing someone he fell for and trying not to go to jail for a murder he did not commit, Rusty must do everything necessary while protecting his wife and children in order to come out innocent in the end.

Politics, a brutal murder and a suspect who is definitely horrible but feels too easy to be real – Presumed Innocent has all the juicy things that make a TV show great. Jake Gyllenhaal and Ruth Negga are fantastic in this cat-and-mouse chase of a series whose dark and grim storytelling and ability to hold on to tension and build suspense is nothing short of fantastic. With only around 40 minutes per episode, this series slowly builds the tension, from a somewhat light first episode to a jump into the deep waters in the second episode.

Throughout the episodes, the question of whether or not Rusty is innocent or guilty becomes the focal point for the viewers, who are left to see more than the characters do and thus have more of an idea of what to expect. With an insight into Rusty’s mind that the others don’t get, the viewers are in for a soup – there are moments when we are left to question the validity of his pleas. Whether it be the fact that he has deceived everyone around him by having an affair with Carolyn or the fact that he is capable of bursts of violence, the series keeps us constantly questioning whether we should follow this man and want him to be set free.

Jake Gyllenhaal brings out sort of a vulnerability as well as menace in Rusty that is crucial to the story. He looks innocent most of the time but there are moments when he is thinking about Carolyn or doing some shady stuff that truly breaks that good guy persona of his and gives us a peek into his not-so-good side. The actor does a really fantastic job that is not made better with the supporting cast including Ruth Negga, who plays his wife Barbara Sabich, and Bill Camp who plays Raymond Horgan.

Negga, especially, has a side to her that sets her apart from everyone in the series while Camp’s trustworthy and adorable Horgan is a person who feels like the only one who has nothing to hide in this mess. On the other hand, there’s the slimy Tommy Molto, played by the fantastic Peter Sarsgaard, whose insane choices make you take a step back and just wait to witness what happens to him.

The emotional beats of this story, however, are what make it so interesting and gripping. There are moments that are just so raw and real in the context that it makes your heart hurt or race. Whether it be Rusty’s conflicting thoughts, his fragmented relationship with his family that is holding on by a thread, or Barbara’s innermost turmoil for forgiving her cheating husband. There’s a lot of the series that surprisingly rests on Barbara’s shoulders and it’s delicious to watch it unfold, especially when we see how absolutely smart she is, in spite of the heartbreak of her situation.

The courtroom sequences are surprisingly thrilling and extremely watchable. Although you know all the evidence and whatnot, it’s still not easy to understand where the jury’s decision will go in a case such as this. Plus, the series showcases these sequences in short but tense beats, not making us watch minute after minute of inane courtroom discussion, but making us take notice and interest. The politics comes into play throughout the runtime of the show as well and the competition and hatred that we see unfolding in front of our eyes is nothing short of entertaining, especially when it takes place in the courtroom.

Coming to the ending, viewers will be left shocked. Of course, if you have read the novel on which the series is based on, the ending will come as no shock. However, for those of us who jumped into this without any prior knowledge (including the 1990 movie of the same name starring Harrison Ford), this will serve as a shocking revelation that will leave almost everyone stunned. The series, although taking liberties with the original story, does paint a believable and vivid picture of corruption and obsession and how these things make love a murky affair.

Presumed Innocent Review (2024): Final Thoughts

Apple TV+’s thrilling exploration of Scott Turow’s novel is a thrilling and arresting watch that has different mixtures of emotions that will keep viewers engaged. The runtime is short enough to be enjoyed thoroughly while not becoming a burden on viewers. All in all, quite an interesting watch.

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