'Fatal Attraction' Meets 'The Lincoln Lawyer' in Apple TV's Near-Perfect 8-Part Crime Thriller

Published Oct 4, 2026, 1:58 PM EDT

Erin Konrad's love for everything entertainment dates back to elementary school when she became obsessed with classic Hollywood musicals. When she's not catching up on all her favorite television shows, she's advising her friends and family on what they should binge watch next.

She has her Bachelor's degree in Journalism and a Masters of Fine Arts in Creative Writing. Creating content for Collider gives her the opportunity to combine her writing skills with her passion for television and movies. She spends her free time trying to beat her personal record of reading 137 books in a year and cuddling with her dog, Gracie.

There's a reason Fatal Attraction has seeped so far into our culture. Even though the film came out in 1987, the story of a couple's affair that goes horribly wrong is every bit as captivating now as it was then. A 2023 television adaptation, starring Joshua Jackson and Lizzy Caplan, proved audiences are far from bored with the story of the scorned "other woman." An Apple TV series first released in 2024 positions the vibes of this classic erotic thriller against a fascinating legal backdrop, and is still deserving of a binge-watch.

What Is 'Presumed Innocent' About?

Apple TV's Presumed Innocent adaptation focuses on Rusty Sabich (Jake Gyllenhaal), a successful prosecutor with a beautiful wife named Barbara (Ruth Negga), and two loving teenage children. But Rusty is actually hiding a big secret: He's been having an affair with his colleague, Carolyn Polhemus (Renate Reinsve). Rusty's life gets turned upside down when Carolyn turns up dead. When their affair is uncovered, Rusty automatically becomes the prime suspect.

After Rusty is officially accused of killing Carolyn, he must team up with fellow lawyer Raymond Horgan (Bill Camp) to fight for his innocence. Over eight episodes, more about Rusty and his toxic relationship with Carolyn is revealed, forcing the viewer to ask the question: Is Rusty actually capable of murder?

'Presumed Innocent' Is a Suspenseful Thriller With a Stellar Cast

Presumed Innocent, based on a novel of the same name by Scott Turow, was originally adapted as a film starring Harrison Ford in 1990. Yet Apple TV's series carves its own path with its unique storytelling methods. There's an almost dreamlike quality to many scenes, creating an uneasy tension that threads throughout each episode. Rusty becomes even more of an unreliable narrator the more viewers learn that his affair with Carolyn was both passionate and dangerous. The usage of flashbacks also drives the story forward with more information about what led up to Carolyn's murder. Instead of being a straightforward thriller, Presumed Innocent adopts more high-stakes tension when later episodes take place in a courtroom as Rusty battles for his freedom. By incorporating a legal setting similar to The Lincoln Lawyer, Presumed Innocent becomes all the more exciting to watch.

Gyllenhaal is a fantastic lead who gradually exposes all the secrets hidden under Rusty's seemingly perfect exterior, and somehow we still want to root for him. His chemistry with both Reinsve (recently nominated for an Oscar for her work in last year's Sentimental Value) and Negga only emphasizes how these incredibly different women would somehow both fall in love with Rusty. This was Chase Infiniti's breakout role, and she's impressive as Rusty's inquisitive and sensitive daughter. Kingston Rumi Southwick also appears as Rusty's son, and the project was a great stepping stone for him before Apple TV's smash hit, Widow's Bay. Several other actors fill out the supporting cast, including Peter Sarsgaard, Elizabeth Marvel, and O-T Fagbenle, who all work to weave a masterful tapestry of drama and secrets. Gyllenhaal, Negga, Camp, and Sarsgaard would later be nominated for Emmys for their performances.

Presumed Innocent is a perfect binge-watch all on its own, but Apple TV announced back in July 2024 that the show would be coming back for a second season. Instead of following the same characters, Season 2 will be based on a completely different book, Dissection of a Murder by Jo Murray, and will have a brand-new cast consisting of the likes of Matthew Rhys, Rachel Brosnahan, and Courtney B. Vance. With Presumed Innocent now officially becoming an anthology series, we're eagerly anticipating its return. There's no release date set yet, so you have plenty of time to binge-watch the first season of this brilliant thriller now.