Cynthia Erivo Delivers an Instant Classic Performance in ‘Prima Facie’ | TIFF Review

Based on Susie Miller‘s 2019 play of the same name, Prima Facie tells the devastating story of a defense attorney (or barrister, if you prefer) who spends her life defending criminals — specifically those accused of sexual assault — only to become the victim of a sexual assault herself. The one-woman play, which initially debuted in Sydney with Jodie Comer as the lead, finds a new life in Susanna White‘s latest film for TIFF, this time casting Cynthia Erivoas lead character Tessa, and expanding the parameters of the story into a full cast narrative. While Miller’s new screenplay and White’s sharp eye for direction give the story its legs, Erivo’s strong and impassioned performance is ultimately what makes the film land as hard as it does.