David Bianculli

A new German miniseries about Franz Kafka is loose enough to have characters break the fourth wall, and bold enough to slip from scenes of the Czech writer's life to imagined scenes from his stories.

The twists are plentiful in this eight-part Apple TV+ remake of Scott Turow's 1987 bestseller, which stars Jake Gyllenhaal as a prosecutor accused of murdering a colleague.

Loosely based on a true story, Richard Linklater's film about a professor working with the police features strong performances, shrewd writing and a light and funny tone.v