Jake Gyllenhaal’s 78% Rotten Tomatoes Surprise Turn to TV Is a Streaming Win FSalinks

By admin

Posted on August 22, 2024

The Big Picture

Jake Gyllenhaal breaks into television with Apple TV+ drama Presumed Innocent, captivating audiences and earning critical acclaim.
Based on Scott Turow’s novel, the legal thriller follows Gyllenhaal’s Rusty Sabich as he fights to prove his innocence.
The star-studded cast includes Lily Rabe, Ruth Negga, Bill Camp, and more, making Presumed Innocent a must-watch on Apple TV+.

In all his years working in the entertainment industry, the moments have been very few and far between that Jake Gyllenhaal has stepped out of feature-length productions and dabbled with television. Aside from hosting Saturday Night Live a handful of times and popping in as a guest on episodes of Sesame Street and Inside Amy Schumer, the actor’s TV credit list is severely lacking. But that all changed this year with the release of the Apple TV+ drama, Presumed Innocent.

The David E. Kelley-created legal thriller immediately captivated audiences when it arrived on the streamer back in June, with its popularity pushing the network to give it the greenlight for a follow-up season one month later. So now, not only is Gyllenhaal’s name attached to the lead of a television production for the very first time, but it’s a gargantuan hit with fans, even finding itself among the platform’s Top 10 most-watched titles of the week. And the Donnie Darko star isn’t the only big name on the show’s call sheet, as others, including Lily Rabe (American Horror Story), Ruth Negga (Loving), Bill Camp (The Queen’s Gambit), Peter Sarsgaard (Memory), O-T Fagbenle (The Handmaid’s Tale), Renate Reinsve (The Worst Person in the World), Nana Mensah (The Diplomat), Elizabeth Marvel (House of Cards) and more are also involved.

If the title Presumed Innocent is ringing some bells for you, there’s a good reason for it. While this may be the first time Scott Turow’s 1987 novel of the same name has enjoyed an episodic adaptation, it isn’t the only time we’ve seen the action play out on the screen. Back in 1990, filmmaker Alan J. Pakula (Sophie’s Choice) first called one man’s innocence into question with a big-screen adaptation led by Harrison Ford (Blade Runner) and Brian Dennehy (Tommy Boy). Like the show to follow, the movie was widely hailed as a success both at the box office and by critics. Speaking of critical acclaim, did we mention that Apple TV+’s Presumed Innocent celebrates the mark of a hit with a 78% approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes?

What is ‘Presumed Innocent’ About?

From the mind behind such hits as The Practice, Ally McBeal, and Big Little Lies, Kelley’s latest television juggernaut follows Gyllenhaal’s Rusty Sabich, a powerful prosecutor who seems to have it all. But, after his colleague, Carolyn Polhemus (Reinsve), turns up murdered, the truth about the pair’s inappropriate work-turned-romantic relationship begins to come into light and makes Rusty the prime suspect. While he maintains his innocence, the evidence doesn’t paint Rusty in a favorable light as, not only was he with her on the night of her slaying, but he was also essentially stalking the victim. With no one on his side, Rusty fights against the odds to try and prove himself innocent of Carolyn’s death.

See what all the buzz is about as Presumed Innocent is now streaming in one of Apple TV+’s top spots.