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Passing

Drama Irene Redfield (Tessa Thompson), a refined, upper-class 1920s woman, finds breezy refuge from a hot summer day in the grand tearoom of New York City’s Drayton Hotel. Across the room, she spots a blond woman staring her down. Irene wants to steal away, but before she can, Clare Kendry (Ruth Negga) rushes over to stop her. It turns out the two were in high school together, and while both are African American women who can “pass” as white, ... [+]
Author Review
United StatesUnited States
IndieWire
IndieWire
"As beautiful and bruising and knotty as the novel that inspired it."  POS
United StatesUnited States
The Hollywood Reporter
The Hollywood Reporter
"Mesmerizing (...) It tells an intimate story of two women (...) while undertaking an intersectional exploration of identity in relation to race, gender, class and sexuality.  POS
United StatesUnited States
Variety
Variety
"A superbly performed study of racialized longing and feminine dissatisfaction in 1920s New York, lit by searing intelligence and compassion."  POS
United KingdomUnited Kingdom
The Guardian
The Guardian
"[It] features a scene-stealing Ruth Negga but a disappointing lack of verve (…) Rating: ★★ (out of 5)"  NEU
United StatesUnited States
rogerebert.com
rogerebert.com
"Impressively refined and superbly acted directorial debut"  POS
United StatesUnited States
Entertainment Weekly
Entertainment Weekly
"A delicate, melancholy study in black and white, nearly every scene filled with careful silences and subtext"  POS
United KingdomUnited Kingdom
Empire
Empire
"An impressive filmmaking debut from actor-turned-director Rebecca Hall which largely avoids cliché or soapboxing about race, featuring two excellent performances from Tessa Thompson and Ruth Negga (…) Rating: ★★★★ (out of 5)"  POS
United StatesUnited States
ABC News
ABC News
"A mesmerizing movie and stunning debut for director Rebecca Hall (...) 'Passing' is not to be missed (...) She couldn't have found two acting interpreters more capable of bringing her humanist vision to life on screen"  POS
United StatesUnited States
Decider
Decider
"An extraordinary drama about racial identity starring Ruth Negga and Tessa Thompson (...) 'Passing' is a visually and thematically rich drama"  POS
United StatesUnited States
Ready Steady Cut
Ready Steady Cut
"A delicate exploration of grey areas (...) Tessa Thompson and Ruth Negga shine in Rebecca Hall's 'Passing' (…) Rating: ★★★★ (out of 5)"  POS
Cineuropa
Cineuropa
"Hall's direction imparts a lacquered good taste: lustrous, high-contrast, black-and-white cinematography, dramatic pacing like walking in fine shoes, and a period-appropriate jazz score"  POS
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