Presumed Innocent

Given it’s been 35 years since Presumed Innocent screened with Harrison Ford you’ll forgive me for not having a great recall on the film, other than it was a solid legal flick based on the book by Scott Turow.

So I entered the new Apple TV+ series Presumed Innocent, starring Jake Gyllenhaal with a high degree of scepticism. Why are we remaking this and for goodness sake why as an 8 part series of all things.

Turns out, it sucked me in enough to look beyond the original and embark on a new case where the hero again stands accused of murder.

Rusty Sabich (Gyllenhaal) is a top Chicago prosecutor, livin’ the dream with his picture-perfect wife Barbara (Ruth Negga) and family of two teens.

But life takes a major detour when fellow prosecutor Carolyn (Renate Reinsve) is found bludgeoned to death in her home.

District Attorney Raymond Horgan (Bill Camp) initially assigns him the case until the former is usurped by the unwelcome new DA Nico Della Guardia (O-T Fagbenle) after a state election who replaces Rusty with a new chief prosecutor, Tommy Molto (Peter Sarsgaard).

None are privy to the history of Rusty and Carolyn, who were getting hot and steamy in the office, prior to her death. Rusty’s infatuation even went further, leading to plenty of after-hours meetings, all behind his wife’s back.

It isn’t long before the new DA’s office is pointing the finger at its own star performer, and Rusty is soon arrested.

That’s as much set-up as you need to know for this engaging legal thriller which puts its flawed hero firmly in the cross hairs. Did Rusty do it? Can he get to the bottom of what happened and solve the case before time runs out? Who do you believe?

When writer David E. Kelley nails his thrillers it’s a joy to behold (until those occasions he veers into melodrama) and this is one of them. Kelley loves a cliffhanger and each of these episodes will drop a bomb that compels you to dive into the next episode. But all roads lead to the courtroom for Kelley. He really hits his strides, of course, with the legal argument towards the back of the series. Chew the scenery, time.

Gyllenhaal is fantastic as Rusty Sabich, winning over your empathy despite all his failings as a parent. You want to believe he is an innocent man, you want to follow the story subterfuge to get to the truth. Even the excess of shirtless, beefy Gyllenhaal (when he isn’t diving into a pool, he seems to be showering and getting dressed a lot) is a distraction from what is clearly a bloody, violent crime.

Bill Camp (The Night Of, The Queen’s Gambit, 12 Years a Slave) is a brilliant casting inclusion, bringing plenty of gravitas as Rusty’s key confidante. But it’s a tempestuous relationship and they fight like dogs in the yard, railing against the politics of the case.

Ruth Negga is a stand-out as the wronged wife Barbara, who holds it together for family, although I could have done without one sub-plot which feels like a time-filler in the 8 part serialisation.

Kelley also dabbles in dream sequences (wait for the exploding head), which are there to tease the audience -I’m not sure they are necessary when the story fundamentals hold up so well on their own.

I’m yet to see the final episode which will directly impact whether this take on Turow’s book stands alongside the Harrison Ford telling, or lands with some distance. But until then, it’s been an unexpectedly enjoyable ride.

Presumed Innocent screens Wednesdays on Apple TV+