Presumed Innocent Review: A Juicy And Gripping Courtroom Drama

Nail-biting courtroom dramas will never go out of fashion. There's inherent entertainment value in watching an intense and complex case unfold that determines a person's freedom based on evidence, witness testimonies, and bloodthirsty attorneys. Apple TV+'s new limited series, "Presumed Innocent" — based on Scott Turow's 1987 novel of the same name, which was already adapted into a movie in 1990 with Harrison Ford — shamelessly employs every dirty, baffling, trashy, and maddening trick this genre has to offer. It's an absolute s***storm — and I mean that in the best way possible. If you're the kind of person who can't look away from horrible accidents, take a seat because you're in for a treat with this one.

Rusty Sabich ("Road House" star Jake Gyllenhaal, finally flexing his acting muscles on TV) is a walking cliché. He's a killer lawyer with a big house in Chicago, a gorgeous wife, and two lovely kids. He's also a philanderer, cheating on his spouse with an intelligent and attractive colleague he inevitably fell for. Even his boss and close friend, Ray (a terrific Bill Camp), tells him that he's wholly unoriginal when he finds out about the affair. Of course, this only comes after they both learn that Carolyn (Renate Reinsve), Rusty's lover, was bludgeoned to death and then tied up like the human trophy of a serial killer in her apartment. Ray assigns the case to Rusty — not knowing that the two were romantically involved — who dives into finding the murderer with a desperate intent and a bleeding heart.

Rusty's wife, Barbara (Ruth Negga), warns him about the worst-case scenario: What if word gets out that he was sleeping with the victim? Yes, she knew about the affair (well, at least a big part of it) yet stood by her husband's side anyway, trying to repair their marriage. But her nightmare quickly turns real when the truth gets out and Rusty becomes a murder suspect, and he has to go to court for to prove his innocence.

As the eight episodes unfold — from which seven were provided for review — the nearly four-decade-old source material proves just as effective as it was back in the late '80s. With its moderate pace, the pilot solely serves as the calm before the storm, but once we're brought up to speed with the case's details, the characters' relationships, and the power dynamics inside the office, "Presumed Innocent" unravels as a scandalous thriller and a pulpy domestic drama with unstoppable force.

We're talking full-blown obsession, stalking, and steamy sex scenes mixed with nasty, back-stabby political moves, exposing secrets and minuscule details for selfish gain without considering the repercussions that will also affect the people who deserve it the least. Rusty's life and career head into crisis mode, and nearly every distressed attempt he makes to save himself backfires on him five times harder. He's simultaneously losing his family, career, and potentially, his freedom. And yet, the tools he uses and the choices he makes to redeem himself increasingly alienate the viewer from empathizing and rooting for him.

After playing the lightweight role of Dalton in the "Road House" remake, Jake Gyllenhaal embraces the intricate ambivalence of a protagonist full of contradictions and impulses here. With every additional episode and new development in the case, he keeps peeling off layers of trust and morality that serve as red flags for whether we should believe him. Does he really love his wife and kids more than the woman he would've done anything for? As the series goes deeper, the answer becomes less and less obvious, and we can never quite eliminate him as a suspect.

But as vulnerable and hot-headed as Gyllenhaal is in the lead role, the MVPs of "Presumed Innocent" are really the supporting characters. Bill Camp's foulmouthed veteran attorney is an absolute savage — blaming Rusty for the mess he put himself in as much as he tries to absolve him — taking all the opportunities to steal every scene he's in. And in the opposition's corner, there's Peter Sarsgaard and O-T Fagbenle, a vicious and ruthless duo, representing the prosecution that's out to destroy Rusty entirely. Sarsgaard's portrayal of inadequacy and bruised ego is truly a character study on its own, and Fagbenle's egotistical swag combined with a despicable affectation makes him a champion a**hole we can't help but hate with passion. And then there are the women — Ruth Negga and Gabby Beans are fabulous — who might be the most clear-headed among all.

The writers expertly draw on the source material while also modernizing the plot to our current cultural climate, adding an extra layer of suspense and trickery to the whole. Almost every episode lands a seminal and brisk cliffhanger that keeps changing the power dynamics, constantly shifting our guesses about who could've had the perfect motive to kill Carolyn and why. And with every low blow — because, let's face it, throwing in the most outrageous and at times soapy twists is what propels the story — the show kind of turns into a guilty pleasure. See, under the perfectly legitimate and relatable drama, there's a clearly sensational aspect here that "Presumed Innocent" exploits to its last bit without becoming distasteful or unconvincing.

It just works, even if using such gimmicks as violent dream sequences sometimes feels like pushing the envelope a little too hard. But even that fits within the show's context and slippery texture as it navigates between lies and truths, hatred and love, volatile obsession and tender intimacy. And by the time we finally learn who was behind the murder, we'll surely feel as worn-out and emotionally exhausted as everyone here who had to go through hell for one man's choices. We see passionate and complicated love affairs all the time — as often in real life as in movies and TV shows — yet if told using the right storytelling devices and apt approach, they can be just as powerful and addictive as ever.

The first two episodes of "Presumed Innocent" premiere on Apple TV+ on June 12.