Defending Jacob is not your run-of-the-mill courtroom drama, especially given the accused is the child of a prominent attorney. The most riveting thrillers are the ones which have you questioning those you hold near and dear, and the emotional weight, even for the viewer, is hard to bear.
While I had not read the 2012 book by William Landay (on which the series is based), just by going off who was on board for the series, it was clear the series had a lot to offer. Set in a small town in Massachusetts, the Barber family is rocked by the shocking murder of a child… and Jacob Barber (Jaeden Martell) is the prime suspect. Jacob’s father, Andy (Chris Evans), is an assistant district attorney, forced to choose between his sworn duty to uphold justice and his unconditional love for his son. Meanwhile, Jacob’s mother Laurie (Michelle Dockery) is handed the burden of keeping her family (and herself) together while still working in the child welfare system.
‘Slow burn’
The plot of Defending Jacob is much like a slow burn as it unfolds slowly. Academy Award-nominee Morten Tyldum’s direction through the series thrives on the naturalism in the script, lending power to the filmmaking process which largely comprises restraint. This restraint translates well through to the acting and finally to the viewer who is left to process a lot. That said, I did not just have this feeling of uneasiness but also a need to watch the series through to the end, even if just for closure.
- Starring: Chris Evans, Michelle Dockery, Jaeden Martell
- Storyline: A father and prominent attorney is faced with difficulty when his son is the prime suspect
- Show: 1 season, 8 episodes
The synchrony between Dockery, Evans and Martell is remarkable in that viewers will see them as a unit, despite being burdened by doubt and pain. There are profound moments of silence wherein viewers will indelibly know what the characters want to say at any given moment even if their feelings remain unspoken, as feelings often do in real life.
As individuals, the talent shines too. Evans continues on his winning streak post- Avengers , embodying a man straddling both responsibility and love. Dockery, who’s a master at restraint, brings warmth to her character while also being a voice of substantial reason. But the skill of Martell remained a scene-stealer. The fear in Defending Jacob is far from the type he dealt with in the IT movies. Martell’s Jacob is considered a ‘bad seed’ who expresses both childlike innocence and probable guilt.
Beyond acting
The score by Icelandic composer Atli Örvarsson adds a layer of foreboding to an already tense experience, particularly through the large use of piano in minor here and there. The composer told me in a recent interview for the series that he considered the series a “Scandinavian noir thriller in Hollywood.”
The visuals in Defending Jacob do linger in the mind, largely because of the colour palette of the series: cool-toned hues of blues, greys and browns. Cinematography by Jonathan Freeman, who is responsible for many of the memorable shots across Game Of Thrones , added a humane touch to the close-up shots.
The small-town in which Defending Jacob is set seems to shrink over the course of the season as Jacob is led through a brutal criminal court system and as the Barber family faces more hostility from the town. Though I am far from being a parent, I was still rattled by the crisis of parenting and the idea of ‘how far would you go for your loved ones?’. Much to my dismay, I continually found myself both doubting and empathising with Jacob, while also criticising and empathising Andy and Laurie.
Thankfully, the series is in a limited format; some viewers may or may not find the ending satisfying, but the storytelling across the eight weighted episodes is worth experiencing. Do make sure you are holding a loved one’s hand while watching this, too.
‘Defending Jacob’ launches on Apple TV+ on April 24
