Passing

Confronting past prejudices with an unsettling and thought-provoking intimacy, Passing simmers with contemporary relevance.

This multilayered examination of racial identity and cultural authenticity boasts strong performances and marks a stylish directorial debut for British actress Rebecca Hall (The Town).

The character-driven drama is set in 1920s New York, against the backdrop of a country still deeply divided about race and gender roles. Geographically it’s removed from the more blatant discrimination in the Deep South, but such bias still has a pervasive effect on perception and socioeconomic class.

Irene (Tessa Thompson) is a Black woman living happily in Harlem with her two sons and her physician husband, Brian (Andre Holland). During an errand downtown, she has a chance encounter with Clare (Ruth Negga), an old classmate with a light complexion, which is significant.

Irene doesn’t recognize her at first because Clare is “passing” as a white woman to gain social standing. She’s withheld details about her roots to her husband (Alexander Skarsgard), an openly racist banker.

After this awkward reintroduction, the two women become almost obsessed with one another, as Clare makes frequent visits to Irene’s predominantly Black neighborhood, clearly to satisfy a void in her own life. Has she abandoned her heritage for an opportunity at superficial happiness? “I have everything I ever wanted,” she insists.

Their lives become further intertwined as Clare befriends Brian, too. As Irene’s initial hostility turns to sympathy, does she secretly resent Clare or feel regret about her own life choices? Her words suggest not, but her body language and subtle glances express something different.

Thompson (Creed) and Negga (Loving) each essentially play two different characters — with their external efforts to keep up appearances masking their internal turmoil. Their portrayals balance strength and vulnerability to powerful effect.

The film exquisitely evokes the period setting through a boxy aspect ratio and sumptuous black-and-white cinematography, which neutralizes skin tones.

Hall’s screenplay, adapted from an acclaimed 1929 novel by Nella Larsen, features significantly more talk than action, unspooling some intriguing character dynamics even if the setup is contrived.

By providing a valuable history lesson that still resonates, the plea for tolerance and compassion in Passing is subtle yet persuasive.

Rated PG-13, 98 minutes.