The Big Picture
- Apple TV+ adaptation of
Presumed Innocent
critiques male ego and privilege through a murder mystery. - David E. Kelley’s script balances plot with themes, delivering a refreshing takedown of male behavior.
- Every cast member delivers a stellar performance, bringing complex characters to life in a nuanced legal thriller.
There is a speech given by Bill Camp‘s Raymond Horgan that perfectly sums up what the new Apple TV+ adaptation of the 1987 legal thriller novel Presumed Innocent is all about: “It’s what men who cheat do… They wanna have their cake, eat it, and then chalk up to complexity.” For so long, in erotic and legal thriller movies and shows, we’ve watched men (always white, always straight, and, more often than not, middle or upper class) get away with their despicable actions, causing harm to their loved ones and a wide net of other people around them… simply because they can. They get the happy ending while Glenn Close gets shot in a bathtub.
These characters cheat on their partners, impregnate women before abandoning them, and leave their children, and we’re expected to forgive them when they break down and confess to their wives. And why do they do it? A lot of the time, it comes down to them simply wanting an ego boost and a night in the sack. These reprehensible men have gone years without any sort of responsibility, never truly held to their actions. This trend comes to a sizzling end with Apple TV+’s Presumed Innocent, where murder and trial are on the back burner, and men, with their greed, arrogance, and ego, are on the chopping block.
Presumed Innocent (2024)
It tells the story of a horrific murder that upends the Chicago Prosecuting Attorneys’ office when one of its own is suspected of the crime.
- Cast
- Jake Gyllenhaal , Tate Birchmore , Kingston Rumi Southwick , Roberta Bassin
- Seasons
- 1
What Is ‘Presumed Innocent’ About?
Based on Scott Turow’s novel and following Sydney Pollack’s movie adaptation starring Harrison Ford at the height of his power, the series has the same plot at its core. Rusty Sabich (Jake Gyllenhaal) is a chief deputy prosecutor in Chicago, working under the District Attorney and his close friend, Raymond Horgan (Camp). Rusty has it all — a great career, a beautiful and devoted wife (Ruth Negga), and two gorgeous teenage kids (Chase Infiniti and Kingston Rumi Southwick). It’s an idyllic middle-class life, and the only real worry in Rusty’s life seems to be his and Raymond’s political opponents, Nico Della Guardia (O-TFagbenle), who’s after Raymond’s job, and his minion Tommy Molto (PeterSarsgaard), who is after Rusty’s.
All the characters’ lives come to a calamitous halt when Rusty’s co-worker, lawyer Carolyn Polhemus (Renate Reinsve), is found brutally murdered in her own home. Raymond puts Rusty on the case and demands that it be solved immediately — not only to do right by their close friend, but also since closing it as soon as possible will do wonders for Raymond’s re-election campaign. As Rusty dives into the case, his illicit web of lies starts to unravel when everyone learns that Rusty was having an on-and-off-again affair with Carolyn right up until she died.
Apple TV+ Updates the ‘Presumed Innocent’ Story For a Modern Audience
Even if you’ve seen the Presumed Innocent film (and already know who committed the murder as a result), there’s so much to enjoy and marvel at with this adaptation. I had the original movie fresh in my mind while watching, and while I wasn’t sure I’d enjoy the series when I knew the whodunnit of it all, but all those thoughts were swiftly thrown out the window five minutes in. However, it should be noted that only seven out of eight episodes were provided for review, so I cannot confirm whether the ending is the same as in the book or film.
Apple TV+’s Presumed Innocenttakes the basics of the book and movie, updates them, and expands on all the themes and ideas that couldn’t make it into a film’s runtime. On the surface, this is a show about a grisly murder, a sexy affair, and some legal proceedings to boot. Look further, and you will see one of the most refreshing takedowns of male ego on recent television. The shadow of Succession is strong in today’s small-screen climate, but trust showrunner David E. Kelley to be the ideal person to spearhead a show that looks at the reprehensibility of men. You’ll know his work on massive titles such as Big Little Lies, Netflix’s Anatomy of a Scandal, and the more recent A Man in Full.
What Aaron Sorkin is to political dramas, Kelley is to legal thrillers. While Presumed Innocent is both a murder mystery and legal thriller, like Big Little Lies, this is merely a foundational root from which to grow so many different branches. You wanted to know who pushed Alexander Skarsgård in Big Little Lies, but you cared more about Nicole Kidman’s Celeste breaking out of her abusive relationship. That balance of plot reveals and character complexity is just as masterful in Presumed Innocent.
‘Presumed Innocent’s Female Characters Are Much More Fleshed Out in the Series
As Nico and Tommy take on Raymond and Rusty, the investigation into Carolyn’s murder becomes more of a sausage sword fight between the four men rather than about honorable servants of the court trying to avenge their colleague. The series doesn’t shy away from emphasizing how pathetic men’s feats can be as they strive for status and legacy. Nico shamelessly exploits Carolyn’s murder to the press and public to take down Raymond, while Raymond’s commitment to the case derives more from wanting to stay in power. Every single character’s motives are in question. Are they fighting to catch the killer because it’s the right thing to do, or because it will bring them glory? Is Gyllenhaal’s Rusty racing against the clock to clear his name, or to honor the woman he claims he loved? He may be on the cusp of getting arrested for a crime he claims he did not commit, but the show has us repeatedly questioning whether he deserves our sympathy.
Ruth Negga’s Barbara is much more fleshed out than in the movie, with the series devoting ample time to showing the effects of the affair and murder on her. She may not be the one facing prison, but she is the collateral damage caught in the tornado of her husband’s shitstorm. This balancing act of different perspectives is best encapsulated in a scene between Raymond and his wife Lorraine (Elizabeth Marvel), as she berates him for not knowing about the affair that happened right under his nose: “That is a reflection on you, which makes it a reflection on me, which gives me the right to be pissed off.”
Rusty is not just on trial for murder, but also for his betrayal and deceit, and he only has himself to blame for the position he finds himself in. It’s a welcome update from the film, as the ripple effect of men’s actions turns into a tidal wave, and women’s feelings aren’t ignored because they’re not standing in the courtroom. Rather than Ford’s deer-in-the-headlights man wronged, Gyllenhaal’s version of the character is not spared; his dire situation doesn’t excuse his shameful past and betrayal of his family and colleagues. A brilliant addition to the story comes in the form of the Sabich family therapist (a grossly underused Lily Rabe), forcing Rusty to look inward and realize all of his problems in life are self-made.
David E. Kelley Continues His Reign as the King of the Television Thriller
It should be made clear that this version of Presumed Innocent isn’t all gender dynamics and squashing of men. If you want a sexy murder mystery thriller, you’ll be more than satisfied. The ensemble is all expanded enough so you understand their motives and nuances, but not so much that each character being either a red herring or a prime suspect is too obvious. Refreshingly, the gruesome details of the main crime aren’t as honed in on as in the movie, and Kelley’s script knows exactly when to remind the audience of just how brutal this act was.
Like the flashbacks to the police interrogations in Big Little Lies,Carolyn’s murder is the chilling and simmering undertone of the film that drives the stakes and tension of the narrative. We may not get to know the character on a more intimate level, but her presence is felt throughout as both a loving memory and a painful ghost for Rusty. The direction from Greg Yaitanes and Anne Sewitsky is tight and character-focused, trapping us in with people we don’t know are good or bad guys, with the camera often lingering off-center to catch a minor detail that actually tells you everything you need to know about how a character is feeling. With emotion, intensity, and subterfuge, Yaitanes, Sewitsky, and Kelley work closely together to ensure nothing is lost on the audience.
Every Member of ‘Presumed Innocent’s Cast Gives a Committed Performance
Every single actor is bringing their A-game in Presumed Innocent, and they all have wildly different roles to play. Negga plays Barbara’s traumatized disassociation to precision, making her someone you’re constantly learning something new about while still yearning to know more in the process. Gyllenhaal gives his most intense performance to date, and it might even verge on melodramatic if it weren’t for the skillfully subdued supporting presences. His Rusty sits in sharp contrast to Ford’s cool and collected version, but it works for this approach to the story. When Gyllenhaal’s Rusty isn’t violently acting out, he’s always simmering, making it hard to predict when he’ll eventually boil over. Bill Camp’s Raymond is equal parts bringer of wisdom and a dumbfounded boss and friend trying to stamp out the fire while getting severely burned. Camp knows exactly when to inject humor and when to get high and mighty, making it one of the best performances of his career. It’s a tall order to follow up the screen pastiche of Brian Dennehy, but Camp brings his own comedic and much more empathetic flair to this version of the character.
While the entire supporting cast is exceptional, it should come as no surprise that Peter Sarsgaard is chewing up the scenery and choking on it as the pathetic Tommy Molto, someone who wants to win his case as much as he wants a pretty girl to smile at him. His performance demonstrates how a man in a position of power can still be a giant loser; Tommy Molto would fit in perfectly as the fourth Roy son. But Sarsgaard also brings a vulnerability to the character that serves as a worthy mirror of Gyllenhaal’s Rusty and constantly leads us to question whether they’re that different after all. It’s a reminder of Sarsgaard’s powers as one of Hollywood’s greatest supporting men who can make his mark on just about any project. No clear villains and absolutely no heroes — the performers make up a full but never overcrowded playing field that never makes the identity of the killer obvious.
With so many titles getting new adaptations, reboots, and remakes, Apple TV+’s Presumed Innocent is a masterclass in how to take the source material and honor it while also doing something completely new with a familiar story. Its nuanced approach to justice, lust, power, ethics, and pride makes it one of the standout television shows of the year.
Presumed Innocent (2024)
Apple TV+’s Presumed Innocent is a refreshingly modern update on the classic novel from David E. Kelley.
- Presumed Innocent is a twisty, sexy legal thriller that explores themes of lust, betrayal, power, and ego.
- Jake Gyllenhaal leads a spectacular cast, with Peter Sarsgaard a particular standout.
- Those who have already read the book and watched the movie adaptation of Presumed Innocent will still thoroughly enjoy this version.
- Much like the movie, the show doesn’t flesh out the character of Carolyn enough.
The first two episodes of Presumed Innocent premiere on June 12 on Apple TV+, with the remaining six released weekly thereafter.
Watch on Apple TV+