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Presumed Innocent

Presumed Innocent

Presume nothing.

2024–Ongoing1 seasonRenewedSeason 2 upcoming16 episodesTV-MAMidcredits score: 82nd percentile of all shows

A horrific murder upends the Chicago Prosecuting Attorney's Office when one of its own is suspected of the crime—leaving the accused fighting to keep his family together.

Your rating, lists and review

Where to watch

Where can I watch Presumed Innocent?

As of October 24, 2026, MovieCove lists Presumed Innocent streaming on Apple TV.

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Highlights

What stands out about Presumed Innocent?

Presumed Innocent earns 7 badges, led by Binge-worthy and Crowd Pleaser.

  • Reception
  • Craft and mood

Reception

Is Presumed Innocent worth watching?

Presumed Innocent's Midcredits score is the 82nd percentile of all shows, from 106K ratings across 5 sources. 89% liked it (rated it 7 or higher out of 10).

Midcredits score

How well it was received

82nd percentile

Better received than 82% of shows

81st percentile among Crime86th percentile among 2020s
Acclaim (how much people like it)69th
Approval (how many liked it)91st

Acclaim

Crowd Pleaser: Rating-distribution shape vs the catalog

How much people like it

75 /100

69th percentile of all shows

71st percentile among Crime73rd percentile among 2020s

Critics 64 · Audience 76

Audiences liked it more than critics did.

Rating distribution

Most people land high, with a thin tail of low scores from those it didn't reach.

Approval

How many liked it

89% liked it

91st percentile of all shows

88th percentile among Crime93rd percentile among 2020s
89% rated it 7–1011% rated it 1–6

Critics 79% · Audience 78%

On Rotten Tomatoes, critics and audiences approve at similar rates.

Reach

How many have seen it

92nd percentile

105K ratings across platforms

87th percentile among Crime94th percentile among 2020s
TMDB popularity, last 155 days to Oct 26Down 2% in 30 days

What reviewers say

Common ground

A tense legal thriller driven by strong performances and a whodunit mystery, but with a divisive ending that many find implausible.

Fans praised

  • Jake Gyllenhaal's layered, intense performance
  • Gripping suspense and mystery that keeps viewers guessing
  • Strong supporting cast, especially Peter Sarsgaard and Bill Camp

Detractors panned

  • Illogical, unsatisfying finale twist with no foreshadowing
  • Unrealistic portrayal of legal procedures (prosecutors acting as detectives)
  • Padded runtime with melodramatic family scenes and filler

What stands out

ActingDivisive82

Gyllenhaal praised as intense and vulnerable; Sarsgaard and Camp stand out; some find family cast miscast

TensionDivisive80

Relentless suspense and cliffhangers; fizzles at finale

CharactersDivisive55

Complex but unlikeable protagonist; underdeveloped victim and children; wife's role divisive

PacingDivisive55

Slow burn with filler; strong first half, sagging middle, rushed finale

Emotional impactDivisive55

Gyllenhaal's anguish is palpable; family drama feels forced to some

Plot and storyDivisive40

Engaging mystery undone by illogical, unearned finale twist

Originality35

Derivative of prior adaptation and similar crime dramas; changes from source material criticized

EndingDivisive25

Widely panned as unsatisfying, illogical, and unearned

Preferred by

Women vs men

Preferred by Men

Men scored it 21 points higher than women.

Critics vs users

Preferred by Critics

Critics scored it 13 points higher than users.

US vs non-US

Preferred by Non-US Viewers

Non-US viewers scored it 11 points higher than US viewers.

No notable difference between the other groups: each pair ranks it within 10 percentile points.

  • Under-30s vs over-30s 2 points apart

Episodes

1 season

Season 1 · 2024 · 8 episodes · 7.6 average across 8 rated episodes

  • S1E1

    Bases Loaded

    Jun 11, 202448 minTMDB rating 7.5
  • S1E2

    People vs. Rozat Sabich

    Jun 11, 202447 minTMDB rating 7.6
  • S1E3

    Discovery

    Jun 18, 202446 minTMDB rating 7.4
  • S1E4

    The Burden

    Jun 25, 202446 minTMDB rating 7.6
  • S1E5

    Pregame

    Jul 2, 202444 minTMDB rating 6.8
  • S1E6

    The Elements

    Jul 9, 202446 minTMDB rating 7.8
  • S1E7

    The Witness

    Jul 16, 202446 minTMDB rating 8.1Season best
  • S1E8

    The Verdict

    Jul 23, 202453 minTMDB rating 8.0Finale

Watch experience

What is Presumed Innocent like to watch?

Conclusions only — categories and positions, no plot detail.

Earnest, dark and intense — a relentless watch that leaves you thinking.

ToneFeelDemandexact position · filled zone: the category

What it asks of you

What it feels like

Moods
TenseDreadContemplative
Heaviest: throughout
Register
Brooding: Heavy, inward, weather-beaten.Solemn: Grave and dignified; treats its subject with weight and respect.
Told as
Nonlinear · 5% of shows: Events shown out of chronological order.SerializedNew arc each season
ToneThe series plays its material straight as a tense, serious legal thriller, without irony or self-mockery.
The rideFrom the opening episode to the finale, the series sustains a constant, unrelenting pressure, with the dread of the investigation and the protagonist's unraveling keeping the mood consistently heavy and tense.
StructureThe story unfolds through flashbacks to the night of the murder, intercut with the present-day investigation and trial.
Episode formatThe series is a single, continuous story across its first season, with each episode building on the last to explore the murder investigation and its fallout.
Season formatThe first season adapts the novel and concludes its narrative, and while the show is ongoing, it appears structured to potentially tell a new arc each season.

How it leaves you

what you carry away
Thought-provokingUnsettling
Why it leaves you this wayThe series leaves viewers questioning the nature of guilt and the reliability of the protagonist's perspective, lingering as an uneasy puzzle.
How it ends · evidence
Ambiguous endingTwist

Story archetype

where it sits among all shows
Monster — 18% of shows. A threat menaces the hero's world and must be defeated.Rags — 3% of shows. A rise from lowliness to fortune, status, or recognition.Quest — 6% of shows. A journey toward a defined objective, with companions and obstacles.Voyage — 2% of shows. Into a strange world and back again, changed.Comedy — 12% of shows. Confusion and cross-purposes resolved into harmony.Tragedy — 4% of shows. A flaw or fixation drives the protagonist to ruin.Rebirth — 7% of shows. A stalled or darkened life reopened and renewed.Mystery — 8% of shows. A question drives the story — who did it, what happened, what is real — until it is answered.No archetype — 40% of showsPredator — 7% of shows. A creature or killer hunts the protagonists (Jaws, Alien).Tyrant — 3% of shows. A human villain holds power over the hero's world (Die Hard).Invasion — 2% of shows. An external force attacks the home or world (Independence Day).Oppressive state — 3% of shows. A government, its agencies or a secret faction inside them is the monster (V for Vendetta).Corporate villainy — 1% of shows. A company or its bosses are the monster (Erin Brockovich).Institutional injustice — 1% of shows. A court, prison, police force, school or church is itself the enemy (Spotlight).Class system — under 1% of shows. The gap between rich and poor, or a rigid hierarchy, is the monster (Parasite).Technology turns — under 1% of shows. Technology people rely on becomes the threat (The Terminator).Inner demon — 1% of shows. The monster is within — addiction, illness, a dark double.Underdog triumph — 2% of shows. Rise through competition or contest (Rocky).Social ascent — 1% of shows. A climb in class or status (Pretty Woman).Fame and fortune — under 1% of shows. An artistic or showbiz rise (A Star Is Born).Rise and fall — under 1% of shows. Wealth or power gained, self lost (Scarface).Hidden worth revealed — under 1% of shows. The protagonist's true value finally recognized.Treasure hunt — 1% of shows. Retrieve an object of value (Raiders of the Lost Ark).Rescue — 2% of shows. Retrieve or save a person (Saving Private Ryan).Mission — 4% of shows. Accomplish or destroy a defined objective (Mission: Impossible).Journey home — under 1% of shows. The goal is getting back (Finding Nemo).Pilgrimage — under 1% of shows. The journey itself transforms; the destination is symbolic.Portal fantasy — under 1% of shows. Transported into another world (The Wizard of Oz).Fish out of water — 1% of shows. Displaced into an unfamiliar social world (Elf).Survival ordeal — under 1% of shows. Trapped in a hostile environment, fighting back (Cast Away).Time displacement — under 1% of shows. Unstuck in time (Back to the Future).Descent — under 1% of shows. A night-journey into an underworld or subculture (After Hours).Romantic comedy — 2% of shows. Lovers kept apart by confusion, united at last.Comedy of errors — 3% of shows. Mistaken identity or misunderstanding drives the plot.Farce — 2% of shows. Escalating absurd chaos and coincidence (The Hangover).Buddy comedy — 1% of shows. A mismatched pair forced together (Rush Hour).Comedy of manners — 2% of shows. Social codes and class satirized (Clueless).Hubris — 1% of shows. Pride or ambition invites the fall (There Will Be Blood).Obsession — under 1% of shows. A fixation consumes the protagonist (Black Swan).Corruption arc — 1% of shows. Step-by-step moral decay (The Godfather).Doomed love — 1% of shows. Love destroyed by circumstance (Brokeback Mountain).Crushed by fate — 1% of shows. Destroyed by forces beyond the protagonist's control.Redemption — 1% of shows. Moral reawakening of a hardened soul (A Christmas Carol).Healing — 3% of shows. Recovery from grief or trauma (Good Will Hunting).Liberation — 2% of shows. Breaking free of a confining life (Room).Second chance — 1% of shows. A stagnant life re-opened to love or purpose (Groundhog Day).Puzzle — 1% of shows. A clue-by-clue puzzle you can try to solve before the reveal (Knives Out, Clue).Investigation — 6% of shows. A long pursuit of the truth that may never be fully solved (Zodiac, Memories of Murder).Enigma — 1% of shows. The mystery is what is real, or what is actually happening (Mulholland Drive).Mystery
Every story archetype, clockwise from the top
  • Monster 18%: Predator 7% · Tyrant 3% · Invasion 2% · Oppressive state 3% · Corporate villainy 1% · Institutional injustice 1% · Class system under 1% · Technology turns under 1% · Inner demon 1%
  • Rags 3%: Underdog triumph 2% · Social ascent 1% · Fame and fortune under 1% · Rise and fall under 1% · Hidden worth revealed under 1%
  • Quest 6%: Treasure hunt 1% · Rescue 2% · Mission 4% · Journey home under 1% · Pilgrimage under 1%
  • Voyage 2%: Portal fantasy under 1% · Fish out of water 1% · Survival ordeal under 1% · Time displacement under 1% · Descent under 1%
  • Comedy 12%: Romantic comedy 2% · Comedy of errors 3% · Farce 2% · Buddy comedy 1% · Comedy of manners 2%
  • Tragedy 4%: Hubris 1% · Obsession under 1% · Corruption arc 1% · Doomed love 1% · Crushed by fate 1%
  • Rebirth 7%: Redemption 1% · Healing 3% · Liberation 2% · Second chance 1%
  • Mystery 8% (this title): Puzzle 1% · Investigation 6% (this title) · Enigma 1%
  • No archetype 40%

Mystery: A question drives the story — who did it, what happened, what is real — until it is answered. · Investigation: A long pursuit of the truth that may never be fully solved (Zodiac, Memories of Murder).

8% of shows fit this archetype

Why this archetypeThe series centers on a prosecutor accused of murdering his mistress, with the central question being who actually committed the crime, driving a long procedural investigation.

What it's about

7 groups · 53 themes
Bonds — 31% of showsSelf — 27% of showsPower — 7% of showsMorality — 11% of showsSurvival — 9% of showsSociety — 10% of showsIdeas — 5% of showsRomantic love — 10% of showsMarriage — 2% of showsFamily bonds — 22% of showsParenthood — 1% of showsFriendship — 18% of showsLoyalty — 7% of showsIdentity — 20% of showsComing of age — 9% of showsAging — under 1% of showsSelf-worth — 7% of showsAmbition — 14% of showsPurpose — 16% of showsMemory — 3% of showsObsession — 2% of shows. A fixation consumes the protagonist (Black Swan).Power — 5% of showsCorruption — 3% of showsGreed — 2% of showsClass — 4% of showsOppression — 2% of showsFreedom — 4% of showsJustice — 14% of showsDuty — 2% of showsRevenge — 1% of showsGuilt — 1% of showsRedemption — 3% of shows. Moral reawakening of a hardened soul (A Christmas Carol).Forgiveness — under 1% of showsSacrifice — 2% of showsBetrayal — 3% of showsDeception — 6% of showsSurvival — 12% of showsWar — 1% of showsViolence — 2% of showsMortality — 2% of showsGrief — 4% of showsTrauma — 5% of showsMental illness — under 1% of showsAddiction — under 1% of showsIllness and disability — under 1% of showsCommunity — 25% of shows. Consequences reach a town, institution or group.Isolation — 3% of showsPrejudice — 2% of showsDisplacement — 1% of showsFaith — 1% of showsTradition vs change — 3% of showsFame — 5% of showsLegacy — 3% of showsFate — 1% of showsFree will — under 1% of showsTruth — 6% of showsHope — 4% of showsNature — 3% of showsArt — 2% of showsTechnology — 1% of showsSelfJusticeMorality
Every theme, clockwise from the top
  • Bonds 31%: Romantic love 10% · Marriage 2% · Family bonds 22% · Parenthood 1% · Friendship 18% · Loyalty 7%
  • Self 27%: Identity 20% · Coming of age 9% · Aging under 1% · Self-worth 7% · Ambition 14% · Purpose 16% · Memory 3% · Obsession 2%
  • Power 7%: Power 5% · Corruption 3% · Greed 2% · Class 4% · Oppression 2% · Freedom 4%
  • Morality 11% (this title): Justice 14% (this title) · Duty 2% · Revenge 1% · Guilt 1% · Redemption 3% · Forgiveness under 1% · Sacrifice 2% · Betrayal 3% (this title) · Deception 6%
  • Survival 9%: Survival 12% · War 1% · Violence 2% · Mortality 2% · Grief 4% · Trauma 5% · Mental illness under 1% · Addiction under 1% · Illness and disability under 1%
  • Society 10%: Community 25% · Isolation 3% · Prejudice 2% · Displacement 1% · Faith 1% · Tradition vs change 3% · Fame 5% · Legacy 3%
  • Ideas 5%: Fate 1% · Free will under 1% · Truth 6% (this title) · Hope 4% · Nature 3% · Art 2% · Technology 1%

Morality

Justice · 14% of showsBetrayal · 3% of showsTruth · 6% of shows
Interrogates its theme: Questions its theme without settling the answer.Community stakes: Consequences reach a town, institution or group.Single lead
How it treats its themeThe series explores the pursuit of justice as the legal system is turned against one of its own, while also dissecting how personal betrayal and hidden truths complicate the search for truth.
StanceThe series interrogates the idea of justice and the lengths one will go to protect oneself, without ever fully settling whether the system works or is merely a stage for personal vendettas.

The world

ContemporaryUrbanInstitutionalDomesticRealistic
Orchestral modernAmbientSupportive music · hybrid
SettingThe Chicago Prosecuting Attorney's office and the web of personal and professional lives intertwined with it.
MusicThe score is tense and atmospheric, supporting the brooding tone without overwhelming the dialogue.

Content guide

Is Presumed Innocent okay for kids?

TV-MA

Presumed Innocent is rated TV-MA. As of August 19, 2026, Midcredits content scores put its violence at intense (68/100), sexual content at intense (71/100), language at intense (71/100), drug and alcohol content at moderate (39/100) and frightening material at intense (75/100). Overall it is heavier than 63% of TV-MA shows.

Ratings in 44 other countries
  • UK18
  • Canada18+
  • AustraliaMA 15+
  • Germany16
  • France16
  • Ireland18
  • New Zealand16
  • South Korea19
  • Brazil16
  • ArgentinaSAM 16
  • Austria16
  • Belgium16
  • BG16
  • CLR
  • Czechia18+
  • Denmark15
  • FinlandK16
  • Greece16
  • Hungary18
  • IndiaA
  • Israel18+
  • ItalyVM14
  • LTS
  • LU16
  • MexicoC
  • MY18
  • Netherlands16
  • Norway15
  • PhilippinesSPG
  • Poland16
  • Portugal18
  • PRTV-MA
  • RO15
  • Russia18+
  • SingaporeM18
  • SK18
  • South Africa16
  • Spain16
  • SwedenFrån 15 år
  • Switzerland16
  • Taiwan18+
  • THน 18+
  • UA18+
  • VITV-MA
Overall
Intense · all five categories
Heavier than 80% of all showsHeavier than 63% of TV-MA shows
Violence & Gore
Intense
typical for a TV-MA show
heavier than 55%
Sex & Nudity
Intense · audience split: No severity level holds a majority of voters
heavy for a TV-MA show
heavier than 80%
Profanity
Intense · audience split: No severity level holds a majority of voters
typical for a TV-MA show
heavier than 57%
Alcohol & Drugs
Moderate
typical for a TV-MA show
heavier than 26%
Frightening / Intense
Intense
heavy for a TV-MA show
heavier than 76%

Point along a line to see a well-known title at that level.

Heavy almost across the board: frightening material, sexual content, language, and violence. Everything else sits at or below what TV-MA shows usually carry.

Source: Midcredits content scores, 0 (none) to 100 (severe) per category, with each standing ranked against other shows that have them.

What content warnings does Presumed Innocent have?

Not screened for content warnings yet.

Cast and crew

Who is in Presumed Innocent?

Cast

2 of the 10 billed cast had never appeared on screen; 2 of the cast already had the standing of a top-10% working actor.

Jake Gyllenhaal
as Rusty Sabich
Best so far: Their highest-reaching show role to date — the title is too recent to say more.Top draw: One of the 3 biggest draws in this cast: billing here weighted by career star power.
Ruth Negga
as Barbara Sabich
Top draw: One of the 3 biggest draws in this cast: billing here weighted by career star power.
Bill Camp
as Raymond Horgan
Veteran: 15 or more years in, with as much work as the typical long-career actor.
O-T Fagbenle
as Nico Della Guardia
Chase Infiniti
as Jaden Sabich
Screen debut: No prior film or television role.
Renate Reinsve
as Carolyn Polhemus
Best so far: Their highest-reaching show role to date — the title is too recent to say more.
Peter Sarsgaard
as Tommy Molto
Established: A standing when this show came out that a top-10% working actor has today.Top draw: One of the 3 biggest draws in this cast: billing here weighted by career star power.
Kingston Rumi Southwick
as Kyle Sabich
Screen debut: No prior film or television role.
Tate Birchmore
as Michael Caldwell
Newcomer: A standing when this show came out that sits in the bottom quarter of working actors today.
Elizabeth Marvel
as Lorraine Horgan
Veteran: 15 or more years in, with as much work as the typical long-career actor.

Crew

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