# 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.
- Title: A play that won everything, a film that misses | Shortify
- Summary: 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…
- Keywords: film review, cynthia erivo, adaptation, theater, sexual assault, play, won, everything, film, misses, The Hollywood Reporter
- Source: The Hollywood Reporter — https://hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-reviews/prima-facie-review-cynthia-erivo-1236696972
- Author: Caryn James
- Published: 2026-09-13T23:45:00+00:00
- Read time: 1 min
- Topics: film review, cynthia erivo, adaptation, theater, sexual assault
## 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
## Key takeaway

Prima Facie has an urgent story about how the legal system treats rape victims, but the film adaptation squanders it.