It seems almost uncanny that in a week of shocking incidents of sexual assault by men of power, Prima Facie is released. Based on the hugely successful one-woman play starring Jodie Comer, this tale of an ambitious defence lawyer who finds herself on the other side of the law after being raped by a co-worker is probably the most relevant movie of the year. Yet this is such powerful subject matter that it needs to be discussed; this obviously important movie comes across as flat and lacking the real punch the story deserves, and it proves that sometimes expanding a play can water down a production.
Tessa Ensler is a rising star in the world of defence lawyers. She manages to win cases, including those accused of sexual assault and knows all the games that lawyers play to make the victim seem almost guilty. When she starts seeing a co-worker, she is never happier, until one night when he forces himself on her, and she is raped. Taking her story to the police could ruin her career, and she soon finds herself facing the same questions that she had placed to previous victims.
Suzie Miller’s award-winning play is regarded as one of theatre’s great triumphs in recent years, so excitement rose when it was announced that a film version was coming. Directed by Susanna White, whose previous work included the excellent TV series Andor and Nanny McPhee and the Big Bang, this was seen as a piece of cinema that needed to be out there, showing how women struggle with sexual assault and the law.
What should have been a tough and possibly controversial work that screamed for attention, sadly falls flat and feels somewhat hollow. Having not seen the play, it’s hard for me to make any comparison, but what I do know is that it managed to stir up conversations that needed to be had. 1 in 3 women have faced some form of sexual assault, but only 1 in 10 get to take it to court and, even more shocking, 1 in 10 win. These facts are shown at the end of the film, and yet reading these facts is the most disheartening and emotionally charged part of the film.
The issue seems to be the writing. Translating a one-woman show into a full-length feature and opening it up with other actors and settings has made it just that less powerful. Tessa is a strong woman who has made her way through the ranks of the legal system when she was told it would never happen. She knows the rules of the game and the tricks used to trip up accusers, and yet when faced with becoming a victim herself, all these traps seem to be forgotten until the last minute.
What also doesn’t work is the use of voice-over to narrate the film. Coming from a one-woman play, it is obvious that the actress vocalises everything that occurs on stage, so how do you use that device in a film? Voice-over narrative works well if it’s a private-eye thriller from the 40s, but it becomes distracting and removes any connection you may have with Tessa. It also becomes irritating when show don’t tell would be so much more powerful.
White’s direction is also somewhat flat and occasionally a little annoying, with out-of-focus close-ups that are used far too much. When we get to the finale, we do get the sucker-punch scene we have been longing for throughout the film, but it comes far too late.
Coming from a one-woman play, the other characters seem perfunctory, so it is left to Cynthia Erivo to carry the film, and she does this quite brilliantly, even with a script that often comes across as clumsy. Those who only know Erivo as Elphaba in the Wicked films will probably be surprised to see her in a movie with such a hard-hitting premise, but she does a very good job, and she deserves more dramatic roles.
I really wanted to be shaken to the core by Prima Facie, but it never happened. This should have screamed as the most important film of the year, but it comes across as just another award-fodder film that will probably come and go without much attention. The subject matter needs something stronger and more shocking to get the attention it truly deserves, and while this does try to give a voice to all those victims, it seems the news is doing more to focus on a crime that has often been ignored.
2 out of 5
Director: Susanna White
Starring: Cynthia Erivo, Daniel Ings, Harry Treadaway, Noma Dumezweni, Toheeb Jimoh, Simon Russell Beale, Sophia Nomvete, Elizabeth Dulau, Bronagh Waugh
Written by: Suzie Miller (based on the stage play)
Running Time: 106 mins
Cert: 15
Release date: 13th November 2026
