Wow, just wow! I had never heard of 1990’s Presumed Innocent, which is pretty surprising as I am a big Harrison Ford fan, but for whatever reason, this movie completely zoomed past me for over 30 years! Have you ever gone down a rabbit hole when looking into movies and come across something that you loved? That is what happened with me, and actually, it was Raul Julia who led me to Presumed Innocent!
Where to Watch Presumed Innocent
Presumed Innocent was released on July 27, 1990. You can stream the film from a digital platform. If you like Harrison Ford, you should also watch Patriot Games, The Fugitive, and What Lies Beneath.
Presumed Innocent Movie Review and Story Overview
One of my most anticipated movies of 2026 is Street Fighter! I loved the Street Fighter II game as a kid, and the mid 90s Van Damme Street Fighter movie is a childhood favorite of mine. I was watching the 1994 Street Fighter movie, and it got me looking at Raul Julia’s filmography, and this was where I saw Presumed Innocent, and that he was in it with Harrison Ford. I found out it was a crime thriller, and that was all I needed to hear. It was not streaming anywhere in my country, but a well spent two British pounds and three days later deliver saw the DVD arrive at my house.
No Spoilers
Apart from knowing that Harrison Ford and Raul Julia were in the movie and that it was some kind of crime thriller, I really knew nothing about Presumed Innocent. I am glad too, as this was a roller coaster of a ride that kept me guessing, and if you are like me and have managed to go over 30 years without seeing it, read no spoilers about it, and you will be in for a great time.
Plot Breakdown
Harrison Ford plays the role of a prosecutor called Rusty. Rusty is a great prosecutor, and he is buddies with the DA, Raymond Horgan, who is played by Brian Dennehy. A woman called Carolyne is found raped and murdered, and she is a colleague of Horgan’s, and he wants Rusty to lead the investigation into her death. Already, this is a pretty solid premise for a crime thriller.
Is Presumed Innocent Worth Watching Again
However, the case takes a turn! We find out that Rusty had a pretty intense affair with Carolyne, but he ended up staying with his wife, and they moved past it. Rusty tries to keep his affair with Carolyne from being part of the investigations, but soon ends up being looked at as the main suspect!
Raul Julia comes into play as a lawyer called Sandy Stern, and he is the one Rusty hires to try to help him out of this. All the signs of this case point to Rusty as being the murderer, and he needs to prove his innocence. No spoilers here if he is or he is not, but it is truly a wild ride to get to the truth. The truth, by the way, was not something that I saw coming at all; it was pretty damn shocking and very well done.
However, the thing with this is that it does mean that Presumed Innocent is probably not going to be as strong on a second viewing when you know the twist and the outcome. Hey, I could be wrong, as I have watched similar movies that have a shocking twist multiple times before and still enjoyed them. Actually, another Harrison Ford movie, Why Lies Beneath is a great example of this.
Final Thoughts
Watching movies is one of my main hobbies. I love to watch new movie releases, but I also love it when I come across an older movie that I had no idea existed, and I end up really loving it. That is exactly what happened here; if you have never seen this but love crime thrillers, I highly recommend giving this a chance. Oh, while I did end up buying the DVD, if it is not on a streaming service you are subscribed to, you can rent it digitally on Amazon if you do not want to hunt down the DVD.
