Passing - A Netflix Movie Review

Things aren’t always what they seem. Be observant.

Based on a novel written by Nella Larson, Passing was released to Netflix in 2021. Old friends, Irene and Clare have an unexpected reunion. Due to their mixed race, they can pass as white women. A rift collides with their friendship on their differing views of society and their lives.

Passing presented a bold subject. Social status has gone through a substantial change. In this well-directed film, Passing follows the perspective of two black women who pass as white.

Tessa Thompson and Ruth Negga deliver strong portrayals. Irene and Clare are two different women but desire similar things in life. Since Negga was nominated for Best Supporting Actress in awards season, why hasn’t Thompson been nominated? Both actresses expressed astounding emotions and invested in their characters.

Most of Thompson’s performance is all about her countenance. Despite being happy with her life, Irene feels outcasted because she doesn’t have the final say. Irene has a family of her own, but she wants more.

Couldn’t we have had more scenes dictated from Clare’s perspective? She is one of the main characters and yet Irene gets most of the limelight. Other than learning that she’d rather pass off as white and that she is unhappy with her life, Clare is somewhat of an enigma. That being said, there’s a lot to these women than one thinks.

Pay close attention to how everyone interacts in Passing. Andre Holland is eminent in his performance. I thought this film was supposed to be about Irene and Clare. Its focus turns around to Irene and her husband who have varying opinions on how to raise their sons.

The story had difficulty finding its main focus. Clare does not appear in parts of the middle half, leaving most of the drama between Irene and Brian. Although this dynamic does entail how jealousy has affected each character.

Other credits include Bill Camp, Gbenga Akinnagbe, Antoinette Crowe-Legacy, and Alexander Skarsgard. Watch every interaction in this film closely, whether it's between the women or whomever they interact with.

Acting aside, the cinematography is the signature part of this film. The film is really nice to look at. Passing has a nice style. It is shot in a black-and-white structure. The camera movements are slow, tracing everything in the scene. It feels like a film from the 20s.

Facial expressions are the most important element concentrated on. How these women view each other is the key focus. I like how the camera slightly hid a character's face only viewing their eyes. Camera angles captured all the emotions.

In her directorial debut, Rebecca Hall’s astute direction is pure in every piece of her concentration on this film. Spending ten years involved in writing the screenplay, making this film helped Hall explore her own culture. Hall is one of my favorite actresses, which is another reason why I wanted to watch Passing. She finds her own style.

Arguably, I found the style more compelling than the story itself which was drawn out. I am surprised the cinematography has not been recognized for an award nomination. Hall spent too much time making the style exceptional that she didn’t work on the story enough. There could have been more ambiguity to it.

Ethnicity has always been a topic among audiences. How well does a person know someone? Be happy with who you are. It’s up to you how you want to run your life.

Passing is an intriguing film. Check it out on Netflix for its remarkable performances by Thompson and Negga.