YMMV / Passing

• Alternative Character Interpretation:
  • In the film we see that Irene pushed Clare to her death. Was she taking advantage of the situation to get rid of her, or was she actually pushing Clare back to keep her safe from John and in the heat of the moment, forgot that pushing her back would cause her to fall?
  • Does Clare's attempts to ingratiate herself with Irene's family come just from an innocent desire for companionship, or is she actually trying to take Irene's place as the party in question fears.
• Award Snub: The film got great critical reception and tons of Oscar buzz, but in the end it wasn't nominated for even one Oscar. Especially noticeable for Ruth Negga, who made all the top precursors before missing out.
• Les Yay: Nothing explicitly happens, but there's quite a bit of sexual tension between Irene and Clare.
• Questionable Casting: Although the story centers on two Black women who can pass for white, Ruth Negga and Tessa Thompson do not pass at all by 21st-century standards. Their casting prompted much debate over whether the film should've casted actually passing actors, or if their inability to pass was an intentional choice by the film to demonstrate the absurdity of the concept and highlight the characters’ performances to appear white. It has also been noted that the standards of who passes have changed over the decades since the book’s publication. With all this being said, praise for their performances was pretty universal.