A Man In Full’s 43% RT Score Is Concerning For Apple’s Upcoming Jake Gyllenhaal Crime Series

The mixed reviews for Netflix’s new limited series A Man in Full cause some concern over Jake Gyllenhaal’s highly anticipated series on Apple. A Man in Full is the latest series created by the acclaimed television writer and showrunner David E. Kelly, whose previous works include Big Little Lies (2017 – 2019), Ally McBeal (1997 – 2002), L.A. Law (1986 – 1992), Goliath (2016 – 2021), Love & Death (2023), and The Lincoln Lawyer (2022 – 2023). The series was adapted from the 1998 novel of the same name by Tom Wolfe, author of classic books such as The Electric Kool-Aid Acid Test (1968) and The Right Stuff (1979).

A Man in Full’s cast features an impressive ensemble that includes Diane Lane (Man of Steel), Tom Pelphrey (Ozark), Bill Camp (The Queen’s Gambit), Lucy Liu (Kill Bill), Wiliam Jackson Harper (The Good Place), and Sarah Jones (For All Mankind). Despite the impressive cast of A Man in Full, A Man in Full’s mixed reviews indicate a divided response among critics to Daniels’ first project with Netflix. This causes some concern about Kelly’s next project titled Presumed Innocent, which is set to be released exclusively on Apple TV+ on Wednesday, June 12, 2024.

A Man In Full’s Reviews Make Apple’s Presumed Innocent Even More Concerning

The Netflix series has earned a Rotten Tomatoes score of just 43%

A Man in Full has all the ingredients to be a standout new miniseries on Netflix but ultimately failed to win over critics. The Netflix series has earned a Rotten Tomatoes score of just 43% after premiering on Netflix on May 2, 2024. Many of the common criticisms of A Man in Full touch on how it feigns in comparison to the original novel, noticeably slimming down the book’s plot to fit into the sharp yet unfocused 6 episode timeline. Variety’s review noted, “The tone is bizarrely lacking in the maximalist humor that helped Wolfe craft so many indelible scenes. The result is an odd mismatch between the show itself — inert, straight-faced — and the isolated bits of Wolfe-ian absurdity that survive.”

Other reviews of A Man in Full critique the series’ misfire as a piece of social commentary. IndieWire’s review stated, “Part of the issue is tone. Conrad’s experience is a harrowing, unrelenting nightmare, and it’s portrayed as such. But the rest of “A Man in Full” is loud-and-proud satire. Aside from Conrad, the bulk of the show revolves around white guys screaming vulgar threats at one another.” It appears that Kelly and actor-turned-director Regina King weren’t able to make the most out of its ensemble cast through a lack of character development, even though the characters were intriguing but one-dimensional.

David E. Kelley Created A Man In Full, Presumed Innocent & Many Classic TV Shows

The poor reviews for A Man in Full create question marks about Presumed Innocent

Showrunner and series creator David E. Kelley is an industry icon who has created several celebrated works, which makes the poor reception of A Man in Full even more surprising. He is also the creator and showrunner of Presumed Innocent, the upcoming Apple crime drama starring Jake Gyllenhaal which, by its trailer alone, already looks fantastic. The poor reviews for A Man in Full, however, create some major question marks about the quality of Presumed Innocent, which also is set to feature a performance from Bill Camp, who played Jeff Daniels’ Charlie Croker’s arch nemesis Harry Zale in A Man in Full.

Kelly has writing credits on six of the eight episodes of Presumed Innocent, which is consistent with the six episodes he wrote of A Man in Full. Much like Presumed Innocent, which is based on a novel of the same name by Scott Turow, A Man in Full is not based on a true story. Kelly’s most recent series other than A Man in Full were more positively reviewed, with the second season of The Lincoln Lawyer (2022 – 2023) receiving a Rotten Tomatoes score of 91%, and the HBO limited series Love & Death starring Jesse Plemons and Elizabeth Olsen receiving a 62%. Kelly has a great track record in television, but A Man in Full is certainly one of his more recent low points.

What To Expect From Apple’s Presumed Innocent Miniseries

Presumed Innocent is Gyllenhaal’s first career TV series

Presumed Innocent is a major deal for Jake Gyllenhaal, who will surprisingly be making his first-ever appearance in a television series. Since making his impressive film debut in October Sky (1999) and starring in the cult classic Donnie Darko in 2001, Gyllenhaal has somehow never starred in his own television series, which certainly raises the stakes for Presumed Innocent. As series creator and showrunner, Kelly has certainly churned out some classic content, which is reason enough to remain hopeful about Presumed Innocent despite A Man in Full’s mixed reviews.