Jake Gyllenhaal follows in Harrison Ford’s footsteps with a must-see crime series

With the trilogies of Star Wars and Indiana Jones finished, Harrison Ford He launched into thrillers at the beginning of the ’90s, beginning a fruitful period through classics like Presumed innocent (1990), patriots game (1992), the wanted (1993) or Imminent danger (1994). All of them were extraordinary box office successes and received unanimous applause from critics, elevating the actor as an essential figure on the international billboard beyond his adventurous sagas. And now, almost a quarter of a century later, Jake Gyllenhaal follow in their footsteps by reinventing one of these classics in the form of a limited series. And he doesn’t do it badly at all.

The actor of Secret in the mountain seems to be enjoying a special penchant for reinventing classics. He did it recently with the adaptation of The hard for Amazon Prime and now with Presumed innocent, the eight-episode series that Apple TV+ has just released which reviews the same story that we saw in 1990 but with different, refreshing edges and as engaging as the novel and the film.

Based on the book by Scott Turow that had Hollywood going crazy in 1986, with different studios and producers bidding to obtain the rights a year before its publication, the miniseries reviews the same criminal case of a district attorney named Rusty Sabitch accused of having murdered his lover. A terrible, violent and abominable murder that places him in the crosshairs of his colleagues in the middle of the district attorney elections. However, this version approaches it with different details.

Instead of giving space to a judicial drama as director Alan J. Pakula did in 1990, weaving the dramatic threads in an intriguing, methodical and measured way until delivering the blow with its unforgettable ending, the series is based on the passionate thriller. In this way, it opens a way for Jake Gyllenhaal to give off that rabidly overwhelming energy that he usually transmits with his performances..

The same story but a different proposal

The person responsible for this change in tone is David E. Kelly, an emblematic figure on American television. His experience as a screenwriter and producer of judicial series is fully evident in this adaptation, turning that court drama into a thriller that distributes its puzzle throughout each episode.

And the person responsible for judicial series such as Justice Will Be Served, The Practitioners, Ally McBeal and blind Justice, He sows all his experience creating a captivating limited series, betting on revealing some twists in the story from the beginning and then focusing on doubt as an infallible magnet.

For example, if the film kept the affair between the prosecutor and the victim as a secret between the protagonist and his wife, the series bets on revealing it practically immediately. In this way, the prosecution has a compelling “reason” to accuse him of murder, making the hook greater in the face of a more viable guilt in the face of a verdict. In this way, a frenetic pace is created, with greater investigative urgency with a trial hot on its heels.

But, above all, it helps to sow doubt of guilt in the viewer (I would say more than the film) while the rabid passion that emerges Jake Gyllenhaal It helps to make the partridge even more dizzy.

Jake Gyllenhaal unleashes his passionate and angry streak in his performance in the adaptation of ‘Presumed Innocent’. (Courtesy of Apple TV+)

Obviously, those who have seen the film will have the handicap of knowing the outcome, however, Presumed innocent (the series) is so effective that it is enjoyable and engaging anyway.

The adaptation plays between conspiracy drama, judicial and erotic thriller, but I wouldn’t say that those responsible did not know in which genre to position themselves. On the contrary, this coming and going of genres seems deliberate and helps the effective exploitation of each performer, giving each one space to shine to the maximum: from Ruth Negga to Peter Sarsgaard (interestingly Gyllenhaal’s brother-in-law in real life), Bill Camp, OT Fagbente and Renate Reinsve.

Needless to say, this series is not the cinematic thriller of the ’90s. Those looking for something similar will find it here. He doesn’t have the meticulously careful rhythm of Pakula or the measured restraint of Ford (in one of his best performances, by the way). It is not a series that is going to create school like the movie did, but it does not disappoint either. Because it is refreshing to discover a series with the ability to captivate us with its rhythm, intrigue and interpretationseven when thousands of viewers know the story.

In the midst of the barrage of content that overwhelms us in streaming every week, It’s nice to be able to recommend a miniseries capable of captivating us without return. An effective bet for movie buffs of the ’90s and a work that will help new generations discover an unforgettable story.

Obviously, since it is a production of David E. Kelly, We cannot deny that we are facing a commercial-oriented proposal, but taking into account that its manager is one of the most successful producers of television judicial drama, Presumed innocent wins.

This article was written exclusively for Yahoo en Español by Cine54.