Passing (film)

Irene Redfield, a light-skinned Black woman living in Harlem, meets a childhood friend, Clare Bellew, by chance at a hotel in New York City. While Irene is African-American and is married to a Black doctor, Clare "passes" as white and has married a wealthy white man from Chicago.

Clare invites Irene back to the hotel where she is staying with her husband, John, on his business trip. Clare explains that after her father died, she was raised by two white aunts and married John very young. They are interrupted by John, who openly despises and degrades African-Americans, unaware of his wife's racial background or that Irene is "passing" for the day. Despite this initial awkward encounter, Clare reaches out to Irene to renew their friendship. After a delay, Irene accepts.

As the two women reconnect, they become increasingly involved in each other's lives and insecurities. Clare admits that she misses the African-American background she has had to repress around John, and Irene invites her out to a jazz club with her own husband, Brian, and their friend Hugh. Hugh is unimpressed, but Irene notices obvious chemistry between Clare and Brian. They also discuss their past, and Clare insists that she was jealous of Irene's dependable and moral attitude, while Irene herself envied Clare's vivacious and free-spirited personality.

Clare admits she is not like Irene, because she would do whatever it takes to get what she wants, even if it means hurting others. Meanwhile, Irene and Brian argue over how to parent their sons regarding racial issues, and Irene notices that Brian and Clare are becoming close to the point where her own sons are more excited to see Clare. After Irene stays home with the children so Brian can play bridge with Clare, and he later defends Clare from a comment by Hugh, she becomes paranoid that they are having an affair, culminating in a fight between her and Brian.

Irene attempts to cut off contact with Clare, but Brian foils this by inviting Clare to a tea party for Hugh. Irene drinks heavily and accidentally shatters an heirloom teapot after seeing Brian and Clare speaking intimately, while Hugh protects her in front of the guests. Irene waits anxiously for Clare to return to her husband John and leave the city, but she continues to stay around Irene. When out shopping with her friend Felise, who does not pass as white, Irene encounters John, and hurries away as he begins to realize the truth about his wife's racial background. Though Irene tries to warn Clare, she declines.

As the three leave to attend a party, Irene asks Clare what she would do if John ever learns the truth. When she replies she would move back to Harlem permanently, Irene becomes unnerved and is silent for most of the evening. When she opens a window to smoke, she hears John angrily force himself into the party. As a calm Clare moves to join Irene, John bursts in and furiously declares her a liar. He lunges toward Clare as Irene puts an arm between them across Clare's pelvis. Just before John reaches her, Clare falls out of the window to her death. The audience are left to wonder whether John pushes Clare from the window in his rage, whether Clare commits suicide, or whether it is Irene who actually pushes Clare.[4]

After some hesitation, Irene slowly goes downstairs to where the other guests are speaking with the police. Upon being questioned, Irene insists that Clare's fall was an accident.

• Tessa Thompson as Irene “Reenie” Redfield
• Ruth Negga as Clare Bellew
• André Holland as Brian Redfield
• Bill Camp as Hugh Wentworth
• Alexander Skarsgård as John Bellew
• Gbenga Akinnagbe as Dave Freedland
• Antoinette Crowe-Legacy as Felise
• Ashley Ware Jenkins as Zu

It was announced in August 2018 that Rebecca Hall would be making her directorial debut on the adaptation of the Nella Larsen novel, with Tessa Thompson and Ruth Negga set to star in the lead roles.[5] Hall had begun writing the film a decade earlier upon reflecting on her own family's history. When Hall presented her with a script version, Negga decided to collaborate in making it into a film as Negga was surprised the work was not more prominent, after having read the novel and was "completely astounded" by it.[6] Thompson stated that the film would be shot in black and white.[7] André Holland was cast in October 2019.[8] In November 2019, Alexander Skarsgård joined the cast of the film.[9]

With less than a month to go before filming production was set to begin, Hall was still $500,000 short on her desired $10 million budget, and had to apply for two grants to cover the difference.[10] Filming began in November 2019 in New York City.[11] The film is in monochrome. Benjamin Lee of The Guardian praised the use of a 4:3 aspect ratio as in this film it was "both fitting and practical given a smaller budget".[12] Into the third week of filming, the Hugh Wentworth role, originally intended for Benedict Cumberbatch, remained uncast, and budgetary realities and the tight filming timeline meant the production would need an actor who lived in New York. On November 21, Bill Camp signed on, and filming wrapped in December after a 23-day shoot.[10]

Passing had its world premiere at the 2021 Sundance Film Festival on January 30, 2021.[13] Shortly after, Netflix acquired distribution rights to the film for around $15 million.[14] It also screened at the New York Film Festival on October 3, 2021.[15][16] The film had a limited theatrical release on October 27, 2021, prior to streaming on Netflix on November 10.[17]

According to Samba TV, the film was watched in 653,000 households over its first three days of release.[18]

On the review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, 90% of 216 reviews are positive, with an average rating of 7.7/10. The website's critical consensus reads, "While Passing's delicate approach has a dampening effect on its story, debuting director Rebecca Hall makes the most of an impressive cast — and handles thorny themes with impressive dexterity."[19] Metacritic, which uses a weighted average, assigned the film a score of 85 out of 100 based on 46 critics, indicating "universal acclaim".[20]

Jessica Kiang of Variety wrote that the film is "unerring, deceptively delicate, quiet and immaculate, like that final fall of snow."[2]

Benjamin Lee of The Guardian ranked the film two of five stars, arguing that it had "disappointing lack of verve" and was "inert".[12] Both Peter Bradshaw and Simran Hans, who write for The Guardian, gave the film four out of five stars.

• Passing at IMDb
• Passing at Rotten Tomatoes