Defending Jacob (2020)
Family is unconditional.
A family's lives are irreparably disrupted when the 14-year-old son is accused of murdering a fellow classmate.
| Type | TV series |
|---|---|
| First aired | 24 April 2020 |
| Status | Ended, last episode 29 May 2020 |
| Genre | Drama, Mystery, Crime |
| Created by | Mark Bomback |
| Starring | Chris Evans, Jaeden Martell and Michelle Dockery |
| Seasons | 1 season, 8 episodes |
| Episode length | about 48 min |
| Time to watch it all | about 6 hours |
| Rated | TV-MA |
| Scores | TMDB users 8.2/10 |
Where to watch Defending Jacob
Defending Jacob is streaming on Apple TV+ ($14.99 a month) in the US. At ten hours a week, all of the series takes about 1 month of Apple TV+, or $14.99 at list price.
We check availability daily. Page last updated 27 October 2026. Prices are standard monthly plans and change often, so check with the service before you sign up.
Where to watch Defending Jacob in 83 other countries
| Country | Streaming on (price a month) |
|---|---|
| Antigua & Barbuda | Apple TV+ |
| Argentina | Apple TV+ about $10683 ARS |
| Australia | Apple TV+ $15.99 AUD |
| Austria | Apple TV+ €9.99 |
| Azerbaijan | Apple TV+ |
| Bahamas | Apple TV+ |
| Bahrain | Apple TV+ |
| Belarus | Apple TV+ |
| Belgium | Apple TV+ €9.99 |
| Belize | Apple TV+ |
| Bermuda | Apple TV+ |
| Bolivia | Apple TV+ |
| Brazil | Apple TV+ R$34.90 |
| Bulgaria | Apple TV+ €8.99 |
| Canada | Apple TV+ $14.99 CAD |
| Cape Verde | Apple TV+ |
| Chile | Apple TV+ $6990 CLP |
| Colombia | Apple TV+ $29900 COP |
| Costa Rica | Apple TV+ |
| Cyprus | Apple TV+ €9.99 |
| Czechia | Apple TV+ 199 Kč, Canal+ |
| Denmark | Apple TV+ 79 kr DKK |
| Dominican Republic | Apple TV+ |
| Ecuador | Apple TV+ $6.99 |
| Egypt | Apple TV+ E£120 |
| El Salvador | Apple TV+ |
| Estonia | Apple TV+ €9.99 |
| Fiji | Apple TV+ |
| Finland | Apple TV+ €9.99 |
| France | Apple TV+ €9.99 |
| Germany | Apple TV+ €9.99 |
| Ghana | Apple TV+ |
| Greece | Apple TV+ €9.99 |
| Guatemala | Apple TV+ |
| Honduras | Apple TV+ |
| Hong Kong | Apple TV+ HK$68 |
| Hungary | Apple TV+ 2790 Ft |
| India | Apple TV+ ₹99 |
| Indonesia | Apple TV+ Rp99000 |
| Ireland | Apple TV+ €9.99 |
| Israel | Apple TV+ ₪25.90 |
| Italy | Apple TV+ €9.99 |
| Japan | Apple TV+ ¥1200 JPY |
| Jordan | Apple TV+ |
| Latvia | Apple TV+ €9.99 |
| Lebanon | Apple TV+ |
| Lithuania | Apple TV+ €9.99 |
| Luxembourg | Apple TV+ €9.99 |
| Malaysia | Apple TV+ RM29.90 |
| Malta | Apple TV+ €9.99 |
| Mauritius | Apple TV+ |
| Mexico | Apple TV+ $199 MXN |
| Moldova | Apple TV+ |
| Mozambique | Apple TV+ |
| Netherlands | Apple TV+ €9.99 |
| New Zealand | Apple TV+ $17.99 NZD |
| Nicaragua | Apple TV+ |
| Norway | Apple TV+ 119 kr NOK |
| Oman | Apple TV+ |
| Panama | Apple TV+ $6.99 |
| Paraguay | Apple TV+ |
| Peru | Apple TV+ S/24.90 |
| Philippines | Apple TV+ ₱369 |
| Poland | Apple TV+ 34.99 zł |
| Portugal | Apple TV+ €9.99 |
| Qatar | Apple TV+ QR29.99 |
| Saudi Arabia | Apple TV+ ﷼29.99 |
| Singapore | Apple TV+ $13.98 SGD |
| Slovakia | Apple TV+ €9.99, Canal+ |
| Slovenia | Apple TV+ €9.99 |
| South Africa | Apple TV+ R125 ZAR |
| South Korea | Apple TV+ ₩6500, Tving ₩10900 |
| Spain | Apple TV+ €9.99 |
| Sweden | Apple TV+ 119 kr SEK |
| Switzerland | Apple TV+ CHF10.90 |
| Taiwan | Apple TV+ NT$250 |
| Thailand | Apple TV+ ฿249 |
| Trinidad & Tobago | Apple TV+ |
| Uganda | Apple TV+ |
| Ukraine | Apple TV+ ₴210 |
| United Arab Emirates | Apple TV+ AED27.99 |
| United Kingdom | Apple TV+ £9.99 GBP |
| Venezuela | Apple TV+ |
Subscription, free and ad-supported services we track; prices where Binge Boss has a price list for the country. "About" marks a price the service bills in another currency, converted at the day's rate. All countries as data.
What kind of watch this is
Defending Jacob is a 2020 limited series. Created by Mark Bomback, it follows Andy Barber, played by Chris Evans, as he navigates the legal labyrinth after his son Jacob is accused of a murder. The show runs 6 hours total, a duration that feels less like a commitment and more like a long, uncomfortable wait for a verdict that will never quite land. It is a drama about the terrifying gap between loving a child and trusting them.
What the critics said
Critics found the cast strong but the pacing thin. Rotten Tomatoes gives it a 72% approval rating based on 61 reviews, averaging 6.68 out of 10. Metacritic scores it 61 out of 100, labeling the reception generally favorable. The consensus praises Michelle Dockery and Chris Evans, noting the show stretches its source material too thin. That thinness undermines the tension with melodramatic padding. The drama reportedly became the second most popular Apple TV+ show, a feat of endurance if not elegance.
How it did with audiences
No box office figures appear in the record, so the verdict rests on user sentiment. TMDB users rate it 8.2 out of 10. Viewers seem to have found the balance between tension and character work acceptable, if not thrilling. It is a solid entry in the genre, judged by the people who actually watched it.
What came next for the cast
Chris Evans moved from The Avengers (2012) and Avengers: Infinity War (2018) to Free Guy (2021), Deadpool & Wolverine (2024), and The Gray Man (2022). Jaeden Martell stepped out of It (2017) and Knives Out (2019) into Mr. Harrigan's Phone (2022), Arcadian (2024), and Metal Lords (2022). Michelle Dockery left Non-Stop (2014) and Hanna (2011) for Flight Risk (2025), Boy Kills World (2024), and Here (2024). Cherry Jones joined Foundation (2021) and The Eyes of Tammy Faye (2021) after Ocean's Twelve (2004) and Signs (2002). The credits list what followed, not why.
If you liked this
TMDB's recommendations for people who watched Defending Jacob.
Sources
- Defending Jacob on TMDB — synopsis, cast, ratings and recommendations
- Wikidata Q60744732 — review scores, box office and awards (CC0)
- “Defending Jacob (miniseries)” on Wikipedia, by its contributors (history) — reception, audience figures and legacy, summarised and adapted here under CC BY-SA 4.0
- Where to watch and prices: Binge Boss, from TMDB watch-provider data (powered by JustWatch) and our own provider list
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