TORONTO – Perhaps the best compliment you can give a play adapted into a film is that, on the big screen, it didn’t seem like it originated on the stage. Before watching “Prima Facie,” adapted by playwright Suzie Miller from her own source material and directed by Susanna White, we had completely forgotten this new movie was based on the acclaimed one-woman play that saw Jodie Comer win both Olivier and Tony Awards for her performance. The film, a world premiere at the 2026 Toronto International Film Festival, now features a new, shockingly conventional narrative, which may be its biggest detriment.
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Set in contemporary London, Cynthia Erivo portrays Tessa Ensler, an up-and-coming barrister who has earned a reputation for defending (we assume mostly) men accused of sexual assault or much worse. In a voice-over that comes and goes throughout the film, Tessa has so emotionally disassociated herself from the particulars of each case that she views her cross-examinations of witnesses or defendants as something of a game. And not only does she like to win, but she’s bloody good at it. So much so that we learn early on that the courts assign her these specific cases almost exclusively (and, no, this isn’t how it would fly for a private lawyer in the U.S.). She’s even been nominated for an award as best young barrister (or something along those lines), and a bigger law firm is attempting to poach her.
One of her colleagues, Julian Brooks, played by Daniel Ings (“A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms”), has taken a fancy to her. And the feeling is mutual. They may have both attended top-tier universities, but Tessa got by on scholarships, and it’s insinuated that Julian’s wealthy family was involved in his college aspirations. Yes, Julian comes from a posh background, and Tessa does not (a decidedly British conflict). Early on, Miller and White contextualize Tessa’s lower-income background by introducing her family. She takes the train to the London suburbs for dinner with her mother, June, a housecleaner played by the always fantastic Noma Dumezweni, and a brother, Johnny, portrayed by Toheeb Jimoh, who is something of a family disappointment (see him in Cannes standout “Clarissa” instead). In some ways, this backstory gives context to Tessa’s upbringing before key events in the film, but also comes across as somewhat cliché and unnecessary. And that’s no fault of Dumezweni and Jimoh, who try to uplift the familiar storylines handed to them.
At its core, “Prima” explores the repercussions of Tessa’s own assault. An assault by a colleague that she would have defended in any other context. This could be a dicey and manipulative storyline in the wrong hands, but Miller’s original play fleshed out all the moral debates and character choices years prior. Make no mistake, there are a substantial number of important issues the film needs to explore. And the movie does thread this particular needle with nuance and clarity. And at its best, when it circles back to the courtroom, it makes the audience look at their own prejudices over how the legal system determines guilt in rape and sexual assault cases. The U.K. system seems to have a much tougher burden of proof than perhaps the U.S. or Canada (emphasis on “seems” as we are certainly not legal experts in this regard). And the film, as we assume the play does, makes a strong argument that laws across the pond need to be changed to reflect this. But you’re still experiencing a work of cinema, not an essay admirably making the case for much-needed societal changes. And that’s where, as a movie, the entire endeavor disappoints.
As you’d expect, Erivo is game and committed. She is very, very good. Never over-dramatizing the proceedings and giving the big courtroom speech you’ll see coming a mile away the gutso it needs. But she doesn’t necessarily elevate the material either (nor should she have to). Remember earlier in this review when we mentioned how you’d never think this movie originated as a play? That’s because for most of “Prima,” it has the aesthetic of a conventional, prestige streaming movie (you know what we’re talking about). If that’s where it ends up (in the U.S. at least), “Prima” may have a genuine impact with a wide audience. But White and her collaborators are aiming for something more aspirational. To achieve that, the filmmakers would have needed a much more creative approach. And it’s not only White’s vision, but a perspective that took more chances with the narrative overall. Considering the importance of what White wants the audience to contemplate, the result leaves you wanting. And when even the talents of Erivo can’t overcome those conventions? The verdict is grim. [C]
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Editor-at-Large Gregory Ellwood is one of the entertainment industry's most respected journalists and critics. Based in Los Angeles, he's the only current awards expert who previously worked on Oscar campaigns at a major movie studio. Over the years, he has written for the LA Times, Variety, The Hollywood Reporter, and Vox, among others. He also co-founded the entertainment news site HitFix, which spawned a legion of influential Emmy and WGA Award-winning alumni.
