User reviews

My wife and I binge watched the series and thoroughly enjoyed every minute. A stellar line up, led amazingly well by Jake Gyllenhal. All the actors played their roles tremendously. From the loathsome Tommy Molto to the amiable Ray, and the wife (Ruth Negga just brilliant) and kids were fabulous. The storyline was gripping and for once neither I or my detective wife did not see the twist coming. We were glad to see a conclusion, albeit unexpected. But it was so well done that it gave the perfect end to the series. I would go as far to say this is a must see series. Certainly one that I cannot recommend highly enough.

Jake Gyllenhaal's performance is so powerful, I feel as if it is happening to me. He is just unraveling in this world and absolutely getting shredded apart. I absolutely do not agree with half of his actions but I still am wanting him to fight for his life.

And let's not forget his counter part Peter Saarsgard's Monroe. He is just the perfect villain just oozing vileness. Everything he says just shoves pain and vitriole right in Jakes face without letting up, making it hard to even breathe.

Everyone seems genuine and the dialogue is unrelenting. Just an amazing show. My heart is still pumping.

Presumed Innocent was as good as I expected it to be. I knew it would be good just based off the casting of Jake Gyllenhaal and add Peter Sarsgaard, Ruth Negga and a bunch of other good actors and you have the makings of a good show. Gyllenhaal delivers evert time he's in a movie or show and this is no different. On top of that it was created by David E. Kelley who had a pretty good reputation when it comes to crime dramas. This is an edge of your seat whodunit series that will keep you guessing who the killer is throughout the series. I've never seen the original film or read the book but I've read this version is distinctive fr'om those. While it may not be the best whodunit courtroom drama I've seen, it's definitely worth watching.

It begins like a typical thriller or detective series, but it quickly distinguishes itself with each successive episode. Initially, it seems straightforward, but the intrigue deepens, and the complexity of the main character unravels in fascinating ways. Just when you think the protagonist couldn't be any more suspicious, the plot introduces more layers of doubt and mistrust.

This series expertly keeps you on edge, making you question the main character's innocence repeatedly. The storyline is crafted to push boundaries, making you believe that the character has hit rock bottom, only to reveal yet another twist that makes you reconsider everything. While it shares some similarities with other films and series in its genre, It has a unique quality that sets it apart, making it a must-watch.

Presumed Innocent is going to keep you entertained till the end with the suspense of who is the killer and with what unfolds next in the episode. In the middle of this series I felt it was lagging but once the court episode starts it will make you binge watch the series till end for sure. It was really amazing how you sometimes feel the chaos in the series is actually happening to you. It keeps you second guessing who is the killer till the end. Definitely recommend for anyone looking for short and suspense drama. This series easily deserves above 8.5 rating, this is heavily underrated. Glad I gave this a shot and as expected Gyllenhaal delivers every time.

This show surprised me with its outstanding quality, the acting and writing is generally superb. Not only did most of the characters seem like genuine people with differing personalities, I really enjoyed how the main couples teenage kids really felt like real complex teenagers and not the stereotypical "grown ups writing cringy mopey teenagers" like 90% of shows out there.

Ruth Negga is the stand out star for me, I was really impressed (especially after the finale, wow) and I hope she gets bigger roles after this, she certainly deserves it. Jake Gyllenhaal.gave his usual quality performance. The only actor I thought was a bit of a flop was the character of Michael.

Anyone who enjoys shows like sharp objects, big little lies and mare of easttown should definitely sit down and watch this show. One of the better binge watches in a while!

Characters well developed, memorable lines. The many possibilities to who was the murderer get us into the story, playing as prosecutors ourselves.

It comes to a great ending: There is no such thing as JUSTICE in a imperfect humanity.

Every case on TV, every crime, every story of those around you, you just don't know the truth. No matter how much you think you know. No matter how beautifully portraited the narrative is: You just don't know. I wish we could see it clearly, we are just arrogant and deceived when we think we know.

Shout out to the closure song by Ray Charles 'You think you know me well But you don't know me, no'.

Politics are a cancer. Impartiality is utopia.

You should watch this show on Apple TV+ with Jake Gyllenhaal I never saw the 1990 movie with Harrison Ford, nor read the book, so it was all new to me. I was definitely entertained, wondering where it was all going to go week-by-week and I was (mostly) satisfied by the end. Jake has come a long way since "Donnie Darko" (an excellent movie, btw) and he does a great job here alternating between slimy and sincere, leaving us questioning his innocence. The supporting cast is terrific, especially Ruth Negga, great in everything she does ("Loving", "Passing", "Preacher") and an always excellent Peter Sarsgaard as the villain-y character.

The overall show is entertaining and keeps you engaged and eager to find out what happens next. The production and Chicago shots are great as well. Unlike some of the other reviews here, I actually liked most of the casting, minus the lead Jake Gyllenhaal. He did good with what he was given, but I feel he had no chemistry with any of the characters, especially his family, and his soft personality doesn't match the tone of the character who probably should've been a bit more rugged and someone who would actually cheat. His anger seemed very forced.

Without spoiling anything, in my opinion, the first 2 episodes were really drawn out and boring, but thankfully I stuck around because then it gets intense and addicting from there. I also wasn't happy with the very ending because it just didn't make sense, maybe you'll think otherwise.

Overall, despite that, it was a fun watch!

This show has it all. A family struggling with infidelity. Bias in the justice system. Great writing, fantastic acting, pain, sorrow, horror, jealousy, insecurity, drama, corruption, love, heart felt moments... even friendship.

I think Jake knocked this out of the park. He has really come into his own over the years. I believe this show will win some awards and deservedly so.

Truly gripping, episode after episode you'll ask yourself did this person do it? No, that person did! No wait, it was that person!

I'm honestly not sure the writers completely stuck the landing. I was maybe slightly unhappy with the finality of it all. But all in all... So damn good.

This is an enjoyable season about a murder and the process gone through from start to finish to achieve "justice."

Jake Gyllenhaal plays prosecutor turned accused Rusty Sanich and does a stellar job of it. The series.focusses mainly on him and his family and other district attorneys.working out of the same office.

The story is compelling, though at times can be slow. I think an episode could have been cut out of the season as a lot of non-pertinent dialogue was used as a filler.

Overall though, I couldnt help but keep watching and saw the whole season in one sitting.

Has some interesting twists and turns - definitely recommend to any fans of crime and courtroom dramas.

Reboots are free to go in different creative directions and this effort needed more fodder to make an 8 episode series but I was disappointed in this attempt. I did think the actors playing Nico & Tommy were outstanding but the earlier book/movie was overall better. Harrison Ford played the buttoned down prosecutor overwhelmed by a murder indictment really well and the story had a courtroom star turn by the late Raul Julia that unleashed a series of twists and surprises. This David E. Kelly production would have played better if the original had not existed as a predecessor. I'm really liking the recent work of Jake Gyllenhaal but the ending seemed weary at the finish line.

What stands out about Presumed Innocent is its remarkable ability to capture the essence of those long, tense, and exceptionally gripping Hollywood thrillers from over three decades ago.

It delivered a delightfully grim experience, with brooding and evocative scenes of Chicago. Everything appeared to be shot voyeuristically, as if through a window, a screen, or from behind foliage.

Gyllenhaal's talent for balancing between charm and eeriness is crucial to the success of this series.

At its core, this series delves into the profound impact of a shocking accusation. It skillfully navigates this rich narrative terrain, effectively expanding Presumed Innocent far beyond its foundational courtroom drama - it's more than just a courtroom drama!

Adaptations are not the book, that is a given. But when a decision is made by David Kelley to delete the Sandy Stern character from the film and replace him with Raymond Horgan, you kinda lost me. Also, Jake's wife and kids are totally miscast, no spark or chemistry between them and the kids are too old looking and entitled to gain my empathy. Jake is definitely doing his very best to act beyond his capabilities because I think he knows he's carrying the film and he's getting very little from his colleagues. I'm watching episode 3 now, and the use of flashbacks is so weak.

That said, I'm seeing from other reviews that many are quite engaged with the film, which obviously is as it should be. But I am definitely not blown away by the acting as others are. Anyway, a bit of a sclerotic reaction and certainly in the minority, but I will continue on and try to be open to what unfolds.

Despite being based on the same book, it needs to be viewed separately from the Harrison Ford movie which, by the way, is excellent.

You have to wait for the finale to realise the preposterousness of it all. Plausibility is believability, and the way this unravels just doesn't make sense. There are a number of plot points which do not bear scrutiny. The very idea that people could do these things and hold it together not to give something away is improbable and fantasy.

Peter Skarsgard's performance is very, very good. There are some good dialogue scenes in court but the story's credibility is shot when the defendant insists on presenting the closing argument thereby sidelining his own, very competent lawyer.

Great show. Kept me wondering who did it. Jake was amazing. I love the wife and her constant conflict between support and frustration. The new prosecutor is a holy hot angry mess. But what ticked me off the most was O-T's nasally voice was a complete distraction and turn off. I've watched him in the Handmaids Tale and loved his character, this nasally depiction of him is not cute. Who thought that that would be appealing? He is a Black or perhaps half Black man sounding like he's trying NOT to sound like a Black man. I definitely don't regret investing in Season One because it is very good. Just a few tweaks that I would have made to make it less annoying at times.

This is one great courtroom thriller, probably reminding me most of the HBO show The Undoing or any other serious, well-written, and well-acted murder mysteries.

The biggest problem comes in the last episode, when there is an ending that doesn't feel earned or appropriately built up to in the preceding episodes. The show just feels like it fell apart and needed a surprise ending, even if the story and clues didn't build up to that ending. Jake Gyllenhaal, who is normally excellent, also felt miscast, and the scenes of family drama did not have the same electricity as the murder thriller.

Still, this was incredibly addicting and well worth watching.