I’m a big fan of courtroom dramas. They make some of the best films. 12 Angry Men, The Verdict, Primal Fear, The Rainmaker, and many others have brought a sense of drama and suspense to many filmgoers. Once in a while, there is a television show that has the same sense of drama and suspense. David E Kelly is the master of courtroom television shows and his latest is Presumed Innocent based on the novel by author Scott Turow. A new thrilling mini-series that is as good as a film.

Rusty Sabich (Jake Gyllenhaal) is the assistant district attorney in Chicago.  He is alerted that a horrific murder has taken place. When he arrives on the scene he notices it’s one of his co-workers in the DA’s office Carolyn Pohlemus (Renate Reinsve, The Worst Person In The World) He has been given the case to find and prosecute the person responsible for this brutal murder. The problem is he had an affair with the victim and it compliments things moving forward for the prosecutor’s office and its lead DA and his friend Raymond Horgan (Bill Camp). 

This series has an election that proves to play a huge part in it. The election changes the head of the DA’s office to one of the assistants. Camp’s character is no longer in charge after the election and he appoints a new assistant DA in charge of the murder of the woman. He appoints Tommy Molto (Peter Sarsgaard) a lawyer who has a vendetta against Gyllenhaal‘s character. Based on a warrant and evidence he finds he decides to convict Gyllenhaal’s character for the murder of the woman he had an affair with.

Greg Yaitanes and Anne Sewitsky are the directors of this series. Along with the writers and Kelly they give viewers a show that has a lot of twists and turns. Each episode of the seven I’ve seen has cliffhangers that flow into the next subsequent episodes. From episode to episode, you never know what’s going to happen next. It’s usually what you expect the least. That’s what helps to make this mini-series so exciting and like no other I’ve seen.

Jake Gyllenhaal is an actor who has earned some respect from critics and audiences alike. He has had amazing turns in Nightcrawler, Spider-man: Far From Home, Demolition, and Guy Richie’s The Covenant in recent years. He has made good decisions in his career. He could have relied on the work he did in the 2000s, but he didn’t. He upped his acting game. The role of this accused murderer might be one of if not the best of his career. It’s hard to know which side of the law he falls on even though he’s a prosecutor who puts criminals away for a living.  It’s hard to tell if he has done this heinous crime or not and that’s part of why this is such a great performance. Gyllenhaal doesn’t give his hand away at all throughout the entire show.

The series has a big cast and on one hand, the Sarsgaard character has a vendetta against the Gyllenhaal character. He is playing this character as conniving and vindictive. Which is what makes a good villain. This is the perfect kind of role for Sarsgaard. He easily falls into a nasty character like this lawyer who is looking to get back at the Gyllenhaal character for the way he treated him for years. Calling him names and such. If one is bullied and picked on as much as this man was, what would any man do in his place?

Part of the series is seen in flashbacks. The flashbacks show the relationship between Gyllenhaal and Reinsve’s characters. They had a love affair that was very sexual and sensual in nature. They had mad sex at times and argued from time to time. At least that’s what the flashbacks show. These flashbacks are seen from one point of view though, so we as viewers only get one perspective on the relationship between these two people.  The series wants us to believe one thing despite what the evidence in the case says. That’s part of why the legal thriller is so good.

In all courtroom dramas whether they be television shows or not the courtroom scenes have to be authentic and true to the film or series. The scenes in this mini-series are very authentic and true to an actual court case. The jargon of all the lawyers and judge played by Noma Dumezweni. She’s a no-nonsense woman. I’ve seen some crazy judges in these types of series or films and she’s one of the best I’ve seen. From talking to lawyers this is an authentic show, but Kelly would make sure of that from a writing standpoint himself. 

Presumed Innocent is based on a novel so it’s not going to have a boring feel like some real trials might have. It’s got a fictional tale which is better for filming. Similar to a lot of films this mini-series has some crazy twists and turns. The cast including the one I’ve mentioned and those I haven’t can be a bit over the top at times. That’s the nature of a show such as this. It is a way to get people to read the book or watch said series. It’s the nature of the beast. Kelly knows that and he and the directors masterfully adapted the novel to perfection. Gyllenhaal was perfectly cast in this role. He can show a different side of himself in this show. He is surrounded by a great cast, but he’s the draw to watch this show. I recommend it because of him, but also because it’s written and directed impeccably well. Apple TV + has another hit on their hands.

7/8 episodes watched and reviewed

The series is currently streaming on Apple TV +

4 ½ stars

Dan Skip Allen