Netflix 'Passing' Ending Explained: Did Clare sacrifice herself for a happy life?
Rebecca Hall’s directorial debut ‘Passing’ has finally been released on Netflix and it is undoubtedly one of the finest films of the year. The movie, based on the novel of the same name, talks about two Black women, Irene (Tessa Thompson) and Clare (Ruth Negga), who meet each other in a restaurant after years apart. They begin talking to each other and Clare, in her seductive voice, takes Irene to her room and they talk about how their lives have changed.
Irene could pass it as a white, but doesn’t cross the line. On the other hand, Clare crosses the line and married a white man after passing it as a white woman. But she’s not happy in her life and wants to live her life like Irene. Clare comes into their life and that’s when everything changes.
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Rebecca Hall has done a wonderful job in telling a story that is so relevant today even when the movie is set in the 1920s. Thompson and Negga have given phenomenal performances, taking the movie to a whole new level. However, there is a curiosity among everyone about how the movie ends. Did Clare get to live her life as she wanted? And Will Irene let Clare be a part of her family till the end? Let’s see how the movie ended.
‘Passing’ Ending Explained: What happened with Clare and Irene?
After forming a strong relationship with Irene and her family, Clare has finally got someone who is her confidant. She is sharing things that she could not share with her husband, John (Alexander Skarsgard). John doesn’t know that Clare is actually a Black woman and has lied about her appearance. Meanwhile, Irene and Clare have started to rekindle their friendship. She introduced Clare to her family and they also started a good bond with each other.
Clare has always been a free bird and doesn’t take time to form a friendship with anyone. She forms a good friendship with Irene’s husband and even their children. On the other hand, Irene’s husband Brian (Andre Holland) is keen on telling his children about how Black people are being treated here, but Irene doesn’t want them to hear it because they are just children.
Clare, Brian, and Irene are going to parties together and suddenly, Irene feels that her husband is getting too closer to Clare. One day, they sit for having dinner and they get into an argument about leaving the place. That’s when Irene says that Brian is really happy when Clare is around. Brian is disgusted by what she says and leaves. In the end, they get back together and Clare continues to be a part of their lives.
The ending scene sees John getting to know that his wife is a black woman and he was going to hit her and that’s when Irene comes in between. However, as Irene starts walking off the party, she hears two men talking about Clare’s condition. She walks out and sees Clare’s body lying on the road while everyone is really upset. Irene cannot believe that this has happened and asks Brian about Clare. In the end, it is revealed that Clare is dead.
The movie concludes with Irene and Brian being emotional while hugging each other.
‘Passing’ is currently streaming on Netflix.