Parents' Guide to Presumed Innocent

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Presumed Innocent poster: Profile picture of Jake Gyllenhaal.

Common Sense Media Review

Melissa Camacho By Melissa Camacho , based on child development research. How do we rate?

age 15+

Intense courtroom drama has violence, sex, smoking.

Parents Need to Know

Why Age 15+?

Any Positive Content?

Parent and Kid Reviews

age 14+

Based on 1 kid review

What's the Story?

Based on Scott Turow's 1987 novel of the same name, PRESUMED INNOCENT is a limited dramatic series about a Chicago prosecutor who is charged with the murder of his colleague. When Rozat "Rusty" Sabich (Jake Gyllenhaal) isn't at home with his wife Barbara (Ruth Negga) and his children, Jaden (Chase Infiniti) and Kyle (Kingston Rumi Southwick), he works as the lead prosecuting attorney for D.A. Raymond Horgan (Bill Camp). So when their colleague Carolyn Polhemus (Renate Reinsve) is found dead, Horgan assigns him to the case. It's hard enough to deal with the loss of a colleague, but things are made worse when rivals Nico Della Guardia (O-T Fagbenle) and Tommy Molto (Peter Sarsgaard), who are vying for Horgan and Sabich's jobs in the upcoming election, use her death as a political opportunity. Meanwhile, complicating the case is the fact that Polhemus' body was left the same way jailed murderer Liam Reynolds (Mark Harelik), a man she and Sabich convicted a few years prior, purportedly left his victim. But as the evidence begins pointing in unexpected directions, Sabich reveals the truth about the nature of his relationship with the deceased, making him the prime suspect and causing his life to unravel.

Is It Any Good?

Our review:
Parents say : Not yet rated
Kids say ( 1 ):

This intense courtroom drama offers a contemporary take on Scott Turow's novel by combining the story's key plot lines with some unexpected twists. Unlike the book, or the 1990 film starring Harrison Ford, this version of Presumed Innocent slowly rolls out the story in an attempt to keep the thrills going throughout eight episodes.

But even with the slow pace, some key characters, including Barbara Sabich and Carolyn Polhemus, are flatter than expected. If you can get past this, this version of Presumed Innocent presents a harrowing look at how one man's bad choices lead to unimaginable consequences for himself and those closest to him.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

  • Families can talk about what district attorneys and prosecutors do. What separates them from other attorneys? Is what they do different from other lawyers?

  • How does this version of Presumed Innocent differ from the book and the 1990 movie? Why choose to revive the story for audiences now?

TV Details

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Presumed Innocent poster: Profile picture of Jake Gyllenhaal.

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