From The Hollywood Reporter · Caryn James · · 1m 20s
A play that won everything, a film that misses
Cynthia Erivo plays a barrister whose faith in the law collapses after she is raped, and the film still falls flat.
In brief
Cynthia Erivo plays a barrister whose faith in the law collapses after she is raped, and the film still falls flat. Prima Facie has an urgent story about how the legal system treats rape victims, but the film adaptation squanders it. Originally reported by The Hollywood Reporter.
An urgent lesson
Prima Facie sets out to show how hard it is for rape victims to get justice. The subject matter is timely and the intent is serious.
“a bracing, important, timely lesson about getting justice for victims of rape”
Meet Tessa Ensler
Cynthia Erivo plays a rising star among British barristers, a woman who builds her career defending clients in assault cases.
The case comes home
Tessa is assaulted by a colleague she had been dating. Her world falls apart, and so does her belief in the legal system she works inside.
Born on stage
Suzie Miller adapted her own one-woman play. It won the 2023 Olivier for Best New Play, plus a Best Actress Olivier and a Tony for Jodie Comer.
Made for the theater
You can feel how well the material would land live, carried by one galvanizing performance in a room with an audience.
The verdict
On screen, none of that power survives. The review calls the film a huge disappointment and refuses to soften it.
“there is no use sugar-coating the huge disappointment the film turns out to be”
The main idea
Prima Facie has an urgent story about how the legal system treats rape victims, but the film adaptation squanders it.
