Prima Facie

Prima Facie is a play written by Suzie Miller, with the protagonist, Tessa Ensler being previously played by Jodie Comer. This 2026 rendition, however, is the first on-screen portrayal of the story, starring superstar Cynthia Erivo in the main role. The narrative follows the life and work of a confident and successful defence lawyer who has previously dealt with many sexual assault cases. After she is raped by a colleague and takes the stand herself (now as a victim), her trust in the law is shaken as she does not receive justice.

Cynthia’s performance must be the main talking point of this film. Her compelling and emotional presence increased the emotional weight of the story, especially during Tessa’s interactions with her family. The moment Tessa told her Mum what had occurred was particularly heartbreaking. The moving character portrayal of Noma Dumezweni is one to be noted.

The location exposition felt fit for TV, with the upbeat songs and drone shots of London feeling somewhat out of place when bookended with less surprising sunny moments. I also found that the quick-witted voiceovers from Tessa during tense moments throughout the narrative took me out of the story more often than not. Cynthia’s performance conveyed Tessa’s feelings and inner dialogue well enough.

The apprehension in the courtroom scenes was incredibly engaging and unsettling, charged with trepidation but also hope, with audience members most likely wishing for a better outcome for Tessa and other victims depicted.

The lack of trust and the newfound clarity Tessa reached were important to share and a story many women can unfortunately relate to. The tale of Prima Facie (despite originally being written by Suzie Miller in 2018) felt extremely relevant to current feminist issues being jeopardised in the news today.

The production value of the film did not amaze me, yet the performances and distressing content took most viewers’ focus anyway. The visuals did not seem interesting, or even full of life; dull and grey would be a better description. I do not underestimate the filmmakers; this may have been a conscious choice, maybe to reinforce the dark subject matter?

The ending deserves a focus in this review and in audiences' retention of the film, with the change from the original play being a substantial moment of optimism to round off the motion picture.

I was heart warmed by the journalist who approaches Tessa after she lost in court, declaring she is also a 1 in 3 (a statistic of women who are victims of sexual crimes. She exclaimed that she would keep fighting to get women’s stories told. As much as the political state of the world can feel daunting, I wish for this small, hopeful script change to inspire other young women out there to speak out and have conversations with the people in their lives about relevant topics.