As impressive as Jake Gyllenhaal might have been in the Road House remake, his performance in a new 2024 show is even better. In an acting career spanning over two decades, Jake Gyllenhaal has starred in several acclaimed movies and been honored with one Academy Award nomination, two Golden Globe wins, and three Tony Awards. Although, like most actors, Gyllenhaal has seen a fair share of ups and downs in his acting career, one thing remains constant in everything he stars in: his unwavering dedication to his craft.

Owing to this, even though 2024’s Road House remake was met with a mixed response from both viewers and critics, many praised the actor for his performance and ability to add more layers to the original Dalton’s characterization. With his portrayal of a whole new character in an Apple TV+ show, Gyllenhaal has outdone himself again, seamlessly transitioning from movie to television. While it may be too soon to tell whether this new show will be as commercially successful as Road House, it gives viewers the opportunity to see the best of Jake Gyllenhaal.

Jake Gyllenhaal’s Role In Presumed Innocent Is His Best Performance Of 2024

Presumed Innocent Gives Enough Room To Jake Gyllenhaal To Shine As An Actor

In 2024, so far, Jake Gyllenhaal has starred in one movie, Road House, and one television show, Presumed Innocent. Considering how he plays completely different roles in the film and the show, both highlight his impressive range and ability to effortlessly portray diverse characters. However, since Road House is more of an action comedy flick that only gives so much to Jake Gyllenhaal to work with, it does not put his full acting forte on display. While Gyllenhaal still does an incredible job at delivering Dalton’s physicality, comic timing, and shades of anti-heroism, the movie does not tap into his full acting potential.

Presumed Innocent, on the other hand, is a character-driven crime drama in which Jake Gyllenhaal gets to play a morally complex character. Owing to this, the show’s storyline allows Gyllenhaal to delve deeply into the moral dilemmas of his familial troubles and the legal intricacies of a chilling murder mystery. Since this is not the first time the Road House remake star has taken on troubled heroes, he perfectly puts himself in his character’s boots, immersing viewers into the gamut of emotions he has to go through during the show’s central legal trial.

Presumed Innocent Is A Great Follow-Up To Road House

Like 1989’s Road House, The Original Presumed Innocent Also Starred A Notable Actor

Presumed Innocent and Road House belong to completely different movie genres. Even the two movies’ protagonists, Dalton and Rusty, are worlds apart. However, both have one thing in common: 2024’s Presumed Innocent and Road House are both remakes/reimaginings of classic movies. Long before Jake Gyllenhaal played Dalton in the Road House remake, Patrick Swayze immortalized the role in the original 1989 film. Similarly, before Gyllenhaal walked viewers through Rusty’s legal adversities in the Apple TV+ show, Harrison Ford played the prosecutor in the original Presumed Innocent.

Patrick Swayze and Harrison Ford did an incredible job of portraying their respective characters in the two films, explaining why Road House became a cult classic while Presumed Innocent was both commercially and critically successful. Despite having the pressure of living up to the high standards set by Swayze and Ford, Jake Gyllenhaal plays both characters with the utmost confidence and dedication, bringing his unique interpretation to both. While his Road House role only gives a glimpse of his acting abilities, Presumed Innocent follows it by showing how he seamlessly acts across diverse genres.

Why Jake Gyllenhaal’s Role As Rusty In Presumed Innocent Deserves More Attention

It Is Jake Gyllenhaal’s First Major Television Role

Jake Gyllenhaal is known for his roles in various films, like Jarhead, Brokeback Mountain, Love and Other Drugs, Spider-Man: Far From Home, and, most recently, Road House. He also has a long line of compelling thrillers under his belt, including Enemy, Nightcrawler, Zodiac, and Source Code. However, when it comes to television, the actor has only briefly appeared in a handful of reality series, late-night shows, and one police drama. This makes Presumed Innocent his first major television show, interestingly giving him the perfect opportunity to channel his extensive film experience in the thriller genre.

New Presumed Innocent episodes are released every Wednesday on Apple TV+.