Presumed Innocent

Right now you can watch Presumed Innocent in Australia on Netflix and ABC iview, and in the US on Hoopla — and it earns its twists rather than manufacturing them. It says what it needs to say in one sitting, no filler. 825 viewers have already rated it on TMDB — the kind of consensus that does not happen by accident. Harrison Ford leads a cast that carries the story without ever feeling mechanical. Put it on tonight on Netflix and see for yourself.

Presumed Innocent is not trying to be everything to everyone, and that focus is exactly what makes it work. At its heart, Presumed Innocent understands what makes crime drama work — character first, plot second. Rusty Sabich is a deputy prosecutor engaged in an obsessive affair with a coworker who is murdered. Soon after, he's accused of the crime. And his fight to clear his name becomes a whirlpool of lies and hidden passions. Harrison Ford and Brian Dennehy lead a cast that never lets the mystery feel thin. It was released in 1990. Presumed Innocent is at its best in the quiet scenes between the plot beats, where the character work actually happens. It delivers reliably on what it promises, which is more than most of its competition manages.

If you cannot walk away from a good mystery, Presumed Innocent will keep you hooked. It rewards viewers regardless of what else is in their watch history. The complete film is available and best experienced without too much prior knowledge of where it goes. Harrison Ford anchors it, but the writing does the real work. If you are going to commit to one crime drama this month, make it this one.