Defending Jacob

A solid drama/crime miniseries from Apple that, along with See, is the biggest driver of the entire platform. I'm kinda starting to come around to similarly-tuned series, though I don't consider Defending Jacob to be one of the best (I have Your Honor and Black Bird a level above), but it's still a very solid job. The series has an uncomfortable theme where a family is torn apart by a son who is accused of murdering his classmate, and the father (Chris Evans) is a successful prosecutor. It relies on excellent performances, solid direction, decent music, good visuals and a bleak atmosphere. I was a little bothered by the slower pace and wouldn't have minded cutting it down to six episodes from eight. There's the occasional mandatory family filler that no one really cares about, but the closer the series gets to the end, the more it wins the viewer over. There are a couple of decent twists and turns, and the highlight is episode number 7 set in the courthouse, I was munching away in bliss because I love court verbal shootouts. However, the final episode is a disappointment as it is rather unsatisfying in terms of verdict and clarification. All in all, for someone who has a soft spot for this sort of thing, Defending Jacob is a noteworthy affair. Story 4/5. Action 0/5, Humour 1/5, Violence 1/5, Fun 4/5 Music 4/5, Visuals 4/5, Atmosphere 4/5, Suspense 3/5, Emotion 4/5, Actors 4/5. 7.5/10. (04.08.2022)

Defending Jacob is the hidden gem on Apple TV that I've been waiting for and it didn't disappoint. A subtle detective story where the only thing that catches your eye is the fact that it stars Chris Evans. In the end, I found myself in the final two episodes of this excellently constructed case where I didn't even want to blink, I was enjoying it so much. The story is great, the execution beautifully gloomy, Nordic, with music from Icelandic guys (Atli Örvarsson and Ólafur Arnalds) genius. This is not a classic American work. Rather, it's a classic American dramatic story presented in a Scandinavian way, with the excellent Chris Evans and Michelle Dockery as the cherry on top. Plus, after a long time, the series ended and I'm still thinking about how it all went down. When I think about the show, I see it as a big positive, and so five stars didn't take long to come… (30.03.2021)

In recent years, this is one of the best dramatic series in every respect. I was expecting an above-average experience based on reviews and general positive feedback, but believe me, this is even better. The acting is incredibly powerful, and the central trio of main characters certainly did not disappoint. I expected a luxurious performance from Michelle Dockery (which she delivered, so no surprise there), but I was pleasantly surprised by Chris Evans as well (I hope he will be cast in similar roles in the future; he delivered an incredibly heartfelt and naturalistic performance in the more dramatically intense moments of the series, and even gave me goosebumps). However, Jaeden Martell is, for me, the true core of this project; without him, the result would have been only half as impactful. He is well-positioned for the future, and I don't know many actors of a similar age who have comparable talent. The story itself plays with you like a rag doll; the twists (and there are many) will leave you astonished and shocked, making you recover for a long time. I was expecting a slightly different ending, but that doesn’t change the fact that this variant of closing the intricate plot had its own merits (the final shot was top-notch). Apple TV has come up with an overlooked gem. For me, 9/10. (04.05.2021)