Passing (2021)
90%RT Audience Score: 85%
Awards & Nominations: 31 wins & 122 nominations total
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.
Passing is a film that will leave you feeling like you just witnessed something truly special. With phenomenal performances from Tessa Thompson and Ruth Negga, this movie explores the complexities of identity and societal expectations in a way that is both thought-provoking and visually stunning. The use of black and white cinematography adds to the duality of the characters and the intentional filmmaking choices heighten the tension and emotion of the story. Overall, Passing is a must-see film that will stay with you long after the credits roll. Plus, Ruth Negga’s performance is so good, it’s almost like she’s a human mirage of perfection and delusion – shimmering with warmth, mischief, and sex.
Production Company(ies)
Warner Bros., 5000 Broadway Productions, Likely Story
Distributor
Netflix
Release Type
Streaming, Streaming (Netflix), Theatrical, Theatrical (Limited)
Filming Location(s)
MPAA / Certificate
Rated PG-13 for thematic material, some racial slurs and smoking
Year of Release
2021
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Color:Color
Black and White -
Sound mix:Dolby Digital
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Aspect ratio:1.37 : 1
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Runtime:1h 38m
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Language(s):
-
Country of origin:United States, United Kingdom, Canada
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Release date:Release Date (Theaters): Oct 27, 2021 Limited
Release Date (Streaming): Nov 10, 2021
Genre(s)
Drama
Keyword(s)
starring Tessa Thompson, Ruth Negga, André Holland, Alexander Skarsgård, Bill Camp, Gbenga Akinnagbe, directed by Rebecca Hall, written by Rebecca Hall, drama, box office performance, budget, reviewed by Michael Blackmon, Mark Feeney, Melanie McFarland, Soraya Nadia McDonald, Sara Michelle Fetters, Guy Lodge, Cody Dericks, Kathi Wolfe, Gisela Savdie, Armond White, Marya E Gates, Brian Eggert, produced by Nina Yang Bongiovi, Rebecca Hall, Margot Hand, Forest Whitaker, PG-13, passing as white, 1920s New York City, Black woman, childhood friend, thematic material, racial slurs, smoking, Netflix, Dolby Digital
Worldwide gross: NA
Worldwide gross (inflation-adjusted): NA
Worldwide gross ranking (inflation-adjusted): NA
Worldwide tickets sold (est.): NA
US/Canada gross: NA
US/Canada gross (inflation-adjusted): NA
US/Canada gross ranking (inflation-adjusted): NA
US/Canada opening weekend:
US/Canada opening weekend (inflation-adjusted): NA
US/Canada opening weekend ranking (inflation-adjusted): NA
Budget and Earnings Details
Production budget (est.): NA
Production budget (inflation-adjusted): NA
Production budget ranking: NA
Marketing and distribution budget (inflation-adjusted est.): NA
Box office net earnings to date (inflation-adjusted est.): NA
ROI to date (est.): NA
ROI ranking: NA
Ruth Negga – Clare
André Holland – Brian
Alexander Skarsgård – John
Bill Camp – Hugh
Gbenga Akinnagbe – Dave
Rebecca Hall – Director/Writer
Nina Yang Bongiovi – Producer
Margot Hand – Producer
Forest Whitaker – Producer
Director(s)
Rebecca Hall
Writer(s)
Rebecca Hall
Producer(s)
Nina Yang Bongiovi, Rebecca Hall, Margot Hand, Forest Whitaker
Film Festivals
Sundance
Awards & Nominations
31 wins & 122 nominations total
Academy Awards
All Critics (241) | Top Critics (68) | Fresh (217) | Rotten (24)
Passing is one of the must-see films of 2021, one that will stay in your mind well after the credits have begun to roll.
January 6, 2022
Michael Blackmon
BuzzFeed News
TOP CRITIC
Much of “Passing” could be a stage play: people talking in confined spaces, the confinement figurative as well as literal. It’s a chamber drama bearing the weight of several centuries.
November 18, 2021 | Rating: 3/4
Mark Feeney
Boston Globe
TOP CRITIC
Hall breathes life and light into it in a way that lends a weight of beauty and honesty to its immersion into a world of purposeful pretense.
November 12, 2021
Melanie McFarland
Salon.com
TOP CRITIC
Ruth Negga shines in Rebecca Hall’s adaptation of the Nella Larsen novel.
November 12, 2021
Soraya Nadia McDonald
Andscape
TOP CRITIC
This film is nothing short of masterful.
November 12, 2021 | Rating: 3.5/4
Sara Michelle Fetters
MovieFreak.com
TOP CRITIC
Negga is altogether extraordinary, a sort of human mirage of aspirational perfection and psychological delusion, shimmering with warmth and mischief and sex.
November 12, 2021
Guy Lodge
Film of the Week
TOP CRITIC
Aided by a pair of phenomenal performances from Tessa Thompson and Ruth Negga, “Passing” is an assured look into the ways that society shapes identity.
July 8, 2022 | Rating: 7/10
Cody Dericks
Next Best Picture
Luminous.
May 19, 2022
Kathi Wolfe
Washington Blade
The use of black and white helps to emphasize the duality of the characters, leaving open ends and subtle insinuations that we will have to elaborate conscientiously. Full review in Spanish
March 9, 2022
Gisela Savdie
El Heraldo
Irish-Ethiopian actress Negga crafts the year’s most original characterization…. Negga’s genuine emotion transcends Passing and its almost total inauthenticity.
March 5, 2022
Armond White
National Review
There is not a single composition, camera angle, or cut that doesn’t feel intentional to evoke a feeling or heighten tension, a classical approach to filmmaking that feels rarer and rarer these days.
February 23, 2022 | Rating: A
Marya E. Gates
Crooked Marquee
Passing is among the most impressive directorial debuts in recent memory, by an actor or otherwise.
February 12, 2022 | Rating: 3/4
Brian Eggert
Deep Focus Review…
Plot
Mixed-race childhood friends reunite in middle class adulthood and become increasingly involved in each other’s lives and insecurities. While Irene identifies as African-American and is married to a Black doctor, Clare “passes” as white and has married a prejudiced, wealthy white man.
Trivia
Goofs / Tidbits
Ruth Negga shines in Rebecca Hall’s adaptation of the Nella Larsen novel.
Rebecca-Hall.jpg
