PASSING Trailer

A rekindled relationship threatens to tear lives apart in Passing, the directorial debut of Rebecca Hall.

Clare and Irene were friends in their youth but life took them on entirely different paths. Clare began passing for white at a young age while Irene married and lived among Black people, creating a stark social divide between the two. And yet, when they meet again as adults, the two find themselves drawn to each other despite the unraveling their relationship could cause.

Based on the book of the same name, Hall (who also wrote the script) has taken on a litany of tricky topics for her first feature and is busting out a bag of tricks to pull them off. Most noticeable is the gorgeous black and white cinematography, which is bound to play into the racial themes at the film’s center. But still, this movie is a minefield even for an experienced filmmaker, so hopefully, her years of acting excellence will help her out behind the camera.

Naturally, it’s clear she understands the importance of acting, having cast some of the best in the business as her leads. Tessa Thompson and Ruth Negga star as the once and future friends, with André Holland, Bill Camp, and Alexander Skarsgård co-starring.

It’s natural to be skeptical about such a complicated film, but reviews from its festival run indicate that it managed to get things right. It takes risks to be great, and there’s the possibility of greatness here.

Passing is directed by Rebecca Hall and stars Tessa Thompson and Ruth Negga. It will get a limited theatrical release in the US starting October 27th and will release on Netflix worldwide November 10th.

Will you check this one out? Let us know in the comments!