Presumed Innocent (Apple TV+) 

By: Rachel Brodeur

Apple TV’s Presumed Innocent is the most binge-worthy show of 2024. In this investigative crime drama Jake Gyllenhaal delivers an outstanding performance as the Chicago district prosecutor turned defendant, Rusty Sabich. Known for his large screen roles of nuanced protagonists in feature films such as Brokeback Mountain (2005) and Nightcrawler (2014), Gyllenhaal plays Sabich as a man with layers; Sabich is intelligent, but impulsive, competent, but intrepid, loving but flawed.  The result is a character that drives the suspense of the show, since audiences want to believe in Sabich, but the questions about his potential guilt are ever-creeping and valid. 

Episode one of the eight episode limited-series introduces a grisly crime. Each subsequent episode, though a series of flashbacks and forward action, unearths details of relationships, motives and circumstances that keeps audiences on edge. It is hard to discern who is truthful, who is ethical, and who is insidious. 

Presumed Innocent premiered at the 2024 Tribeca Film Festival and is the latest iteration of the 1987 Scott Turow book and 1999 Alan J. Pakula film, both by the same title. Unlike the film version starring Harrison Ford in the Sabich role, the episodic nature of the AppleTV series  allows for the story to unfold at a pace more similar to the source material. Director Anne Sewitsky (Happy Happy, Homesick), utilizes clever cuts and character revealing closeups to heighten the stress of a scene. Additionally, the score punctuates moments of tension with percussion much like a heartbeat can be heard when someone is scared. 

Legal experts may scoff at the dramatic courtroom proceedings which take the Hollywood approach to litigation, where trials are bombastic and full of surprises. Both attorneys deliver speeches dripping in pathos and some details may take a viewer out of the strict reality of the moment. However, television isn’t law school, and Presumed Innocent delivers in suspense and intensity beyond a reasonable doubt.  

Rachel’s Rating: 8.5/10

Executive Producer and star of Apple TV’s Presumed Innocent Jake Gyllenhaal delivers a riveting performance as Rusty Sabich in this investigative crime thriller. This intense and sometimes graphic series will have audiences on edge for all eight episodes.