Created by the prolific David E. Kelley and starring Jake Gyllenhaal, Presumed Innocent is now available on Apple TV+ and has exploded the platform’s ratings.
In August 1987, a young and unknown Scott Turow revolutionized the literary market in the United States with the publication of his first novel titled, Presumed Innocent. At a time when crime dramas such as Magnum and Miami Vice were taking center stage on the small screen, Turow’s debut novel became an instant bestseller and catapulted the author to literary fame.
In fact, Scott Turow would become the “godfather of the legal thriller,” and his text Presumed Innocent would be listed as one of the top 100 mystery novels of all time by the Mystery Writers of America.
Now, more than 30 years after Turow’s literary phenomenon, the Apple TV+ platform is betting on a new and powerful reimagining of his work. This is the second adaptation of the New York Times bestseller, which was already made into a film in 1990 by director Alan J. Pakula (The Parallax View). At the time, the film co-starring Harrison Ford and Bonnie Bedelia was scandalous, shocking, and a huge success.
On this occasion, the new version of Presumed Innocent is the brainchild of veteran screenwriter and showrunner David E. Kelley, who has been responsible for such iconic shows as The Practice, Ally McBeal, Boston Public, Chicago Hope, Big Little Lies, The Undoing, and The Lincoln Lawyer. Kelley and his company, David E. Kelley Productions, have generated more than 1,000 hours of television, and his creations have won the most important awards in the entertainment world.
Like many of Kelley’s series, Presumed Innocent raises a series of incisive questions about the American judicial system. Starring and executive produced by the always talented and fearless Jake Gyllenhaal, the eight-episode miniseries has become Apple TV+’s most-watched drama of all time.
The story
Zodiac and Road House star Jake Gyllenhaal plays Chicago’s Chief Deputy District Attorney Rozat “Rusty” Sabich, whose life, career and family are thrown into turmoil after the murder of his lover and colleague, Carolyn Polhemus (Renate Reinsve).
The astute Rusty Sabich (Gyllenhaal) is introduced in the show’s opening sequence, describing to a jury the concept of “innocent until proven guilty.” Already in this clever, brief introduction, the thesis of Presumed Innocent is laid out and the responsibilities of the prosecution with respect to the burden of proof are made clear; from here on, all that underlies and weaves through the series is the politics of the prosecution and the defense in court.
For those who don’t know the origin story, Rusty Sabich is a family man and Chicago’s assistant U.S. attorney in the employ of Raymond Horgan (Bill Camp).
For the most part, Rusty enjoys a good life, is married to his college sweetheart, the lovely Barbara (Ruth Negga), and has two teenage sons, Jaden (Chase Infiniti) and Kyle (Kingston Rumi Southwick).
But of course, all is not as it seems, and Rusty has been having an affair with his colleague, Carolyn Polhemus. This becomes a big problem, when Carolyn is brutally murdered in her home.
As expected, Raymond Horgan needs the crime to be solved as soon as possible and, to achieve this, he entrusts the investigation of the case to his right-hand man, Rusty Sabich.
However, just as the process gets underway, Horgan loses his position to new prosecutor Nico Della Guardia (O-T Fagbenle) and, as a result, Rusty is replaced by his bitter rival Tommy Molto (Peter Saarsgard).
Then, Sabich’s world begins to crumble in a way that neither he nor his family could ever have imagined. Things only get worse when the charismatic protagonist’s relentless lies are revealed. We see affairs and we see break ups, and Carolyn’s crime is more complicated than it seems.
Throughout the fiction’s eight episodes, we follow Sabich and his defense team as they examine the Carolyn Polhemus case from a variety of angles. The plot explores Rusty’s battle to prove his innocence and we see how both sides of the court case work.
The original Apple TV+ series emphasizes “the burden of proof,” which refers to the state’s responsibility to prove that Rusty Sabich is the killer beyond a reasonable doubt. Of course, at its core, Rusty’s hyper-focus on the lack of irrefutable evidence is a strategic way of shifting attention onto himself and replacing it with facts that he hopes will somehow absolve him of the accusation.
Directed episodically by the talented Anne Sewitsky and Greg Yaitanes, and with scripts by David E. Kelley, Sharr White and Miki Johnson, Presumed Innocent is a study of both innocence and guilt within the courtroom, as well as a study of marriage, fidelity, jealousy, and obsession.
The cast
From the outset, Jake Gyllenhaal uses his trademark intensity to bring the character of Rusty Sabich to life and, without a doubt, this legal thriller stands out largely because of the exceptional acting range of the protagonist.
In this sense, Gyllenhaal’s Rusty can be the smartest guy in the room one moment and completely out of his mind the next. Hence, both his sincerity and his innocence are always in question. Is he telling the truth? Is he lying? Was it him? No one can say for sure, and this contributes to maintaining the central mystery.
Gyllenhaal’s performance is supported by the work of a versatile cast that includes Ruth Negga, Bill Camp, Elizabeth Marvel, Peter Sarsgaard, O-T Fagbenle, and Renate Reinsve. Overall, both the leads and the smaller roles are uniformly good and involving. From veteran Bill Camp as the irresistibly feisty Raymond Horgan to the brilliant Peter Sarsgaard as the plodding and insufferable Tommy Molto, all cast members do a convincing and organic job. Of particular note, in the role of Barbara Sabich, Ruth Negga continues to prove that she is a devastating force on screen.
Notable supporting performances in Presumed Innocent include Noma Dumezweni as the perceptive judge overseeing Rusty’s trial; James Hiroyuki Liao (Barry) as a peculiarly belligerent medical examiner; and Mark Harelik as an inmate who has information Rusty needs.
Adaptations
Overall, the 1990s film adaptation of Presumed Innocent is remembered for the unrelenting tension, drama, and profound impact it had on the courtroom genre. Both the bestseller written by Scott Turow and the film by director Alan J. Pakula were products of their time and culture, whereas the new Apple TV+ series has undergone an interesting update to contextualize itself in the immediate reality.
It’s fair to say that David E. Kelley’s iteration stays fairly faithful to Turow’s central storylines. However, and as expected, it adds some subplots, plays with new nuances, and updates the story for modern times.
In addition, the adaptation takes advantage of the extended format of today’s series to explore in greater detail the narrative threads that the film was unable to explore. Another plus is that the series expands the look at the female characters in the story.
Fans of the original novel and new viewers will find this series a fresh and deeply addictive reinterpretation.
Our verdict
We already have a verdict: this Presumed Innocent series is one of the best courtroom thrillers of 2024. David E. Kelley refreshes the 1990 film version and leaves us on the edge of our seats, engaged and expectant.
One of the great virtues of the show is the solidity of the scripts and the pace. Each episode ends with a cliffhanger that makes it difficult to take your eyes off the screen.
Undoubtedly, those who enjoy tense and urgent legal thrillers will appreciate this drama.
As for the future of Presumed Innocent, Apple TV+ has already commissioned a second season of the legal thriller, with David E. Kelley, J.J. Abrams and Jake Gyllenhaal as executive producers.