Tessa Ensler is a brilliant criminal defence barrister, fierce, witty and self-made, and she is very good at taking apart the evidence against men accused of sexual assault. Then she is assaulted herself by a colleague, and the system she has mastered turns its methods on her.
Prima Facie began life as Suzie Miller’s award-winning one-woman play. Susanna White’s film, adapted by Miller, opens the story out into a full cast with Cynthia Erivo in the lead, and arrives in more than 350 UK and Irish cinemas this Friday through Sony Pictures.
Cynthia Erivo gives a performance that would win any case. The film keeps undermining its own argument.
Movie at a Glance
- UK release: In cinemas from Friday 13 November 2026 (Sony Pictures Releasing UK)
- US release: No US date confirmed
- Director: Susanna White
- Writer: Suzie Miller, from her play
- Starring: Cynthia Erivo, Daniel Ings, Toheeb Jimoh, Noma Dumezweni, Elizabeth Dulau and Harry Treadaway
- Certificate: 15 (UK)
- Genre: Legal drama
Viewer Match
- Best for: Fans of courtroom dramas and anyone who wants to see Cynthia Erivo at full power.
- Maybe skip if: You loved the play and want something just as taut.
- Mood and pace: Tense, angry and earnest.
- Cinema or streaming? Cinema for Erivo, but it will play just as well at home.
- Spoiler level: Spoiler-free. The film deals with sexual assault, and the aftermath is shown with care.
From Stage to Screen
On stage, Prima Facie was a single performer holding an audience on her own. On screen, Tessa’s world is filled in with a full supporting cast, including Noma Dumezweni, Toheeb Jimoh and Daniel Ings.
Hear Erivo and Miller talk about the story in our Prima Facie featurette post.
Erivo at Full Power
Erivo is phenomenal. Her Tessa is quick, witty and supremely confident in the early courtroom scenes, and then hollowed out, furious and fighting to be believed. She carries every scene, and the film is at its most powerful when it simply trusts her face.
The subject matter matters, too. The film’s anger at how the legal system treats complainants in sexual assault cases is sincere and clearly argued.
Lost in Translation
The trouble is that the adaptation rarely feels like cinema. What was electric as a monologue becomes stiff once it is spread across a supporting cast, and the film does not trust its audience, explaining and underlining points the performance has already made. Scenes that should feel truthful often feel staged.
It is a frustrating result. The message is important, and Erivo deserves a film as sharp as she is.
Worth Seeing for Her
If you see it, see it for Erivo. For the full list of new releases, see this week’s Weekly Cinema Pack, and for tonight’s viewing at home, see What to Watch Tonight.
Spoiler-Free Verdict
Prima Facie has a phenomenal lead performance and an urgent message, but this adaptation of Suzie Miller’s play is stagey, over-explained and far less gripping on screen than it was in the theatre.
- Performances: 8.5/10
- Direction: 5/10
- Screenplay: 5/10
- Score: 5.5/10
- Cinematography: 5.5/10
- Entertainment Value: 5.5/10
- Overall score: 5.5/10
Star rating: 2.5/5
Verdict badge: Best watched in the Cinema
One-line verdict: Cynthia Erivo is magnificent in a film that cannot keep up with her.
Watch the Official Trailer
Watch Cynthia Erivo as Tessa in the official UK trailer from Sony Pictures Releasing UK.
Did you see Prima Facie on stage? How does the film compare?