10 Best Movies Like Netflix’s Passing

The new Netflix movie Passing is a period drama that delves into some complex topics. The movie stars Tessa Thompson and Ruth Negga as two Black women in the 1920s who are able to pass for white women. The way each of them approaches the issue shows the difference in the women.

With topics ranging from race to marriage to acceptance, Passing is a compelling and unique story. However, if fans find themselves looking for movies that deliver something similar, there are a number of great options for those who loved Passing.

10 Brooklyn (2015)

There is something about New York City in period movies that makes it seem like such a vibrant and interesting place. It is made such an important part of Passing, including how different areas of the city mean different things to certain people.

Brooklyn is another period drama that focuses on the city in an important way. It stars Saoirse Ronan as a young Irish woman who immigrates to Brooklyn to start a new life. However, she finds herself torn between the home she knows and the one she is being introduced to.

9 The Human Stain (2003)

The idea of someone passing for a race that is not their own is a very compelling subject to explore in a movie. Passing makes it a very complex question of right and wrong with no easy answers. Another movie that explores this is The Human Stain.

Sadly, the casting of Anthony Hopkins as a man who is meant to be biracial is quite egregious, but the story is still an interesting one to compare to Passing. Hopkins plays a former college dean who has been hiding his true background for his entire adult life and faces the threat of it finally being revealed.

8 BlacKkKlansman (2018)

Passing is a very dramatic movie with little to no comedy. It lets the audience sit in the tension of the situation which is quite effective. However, Spike Lee found a way to explore the idea of posing as someone from another race in a much wilder way.

Based on the incredible true story, BlacKkKlansman follows a young Black police detective who poses as a racist white man in order to infiltrate the Ku Klux Klan. Lee embraces the outrageousness of the scenario while also making some powerful statements on America’s history of racism.

7 Motherless Brooklyn (2019)

Taking inspiration from detective noir movies like Chinatown, Motherless Brooklyn is a period crime story from Edward Norton. He plays a private investigator with Tourette’s Syndrome who investigates the murder of his boss.

The mystery leads him to meet a young Black woman (Gugu Mbatha-Raw) whose past holds secrets to the highest spheres of power in New York City. The theme of dangerous secrets and racism hanging over the story feels reminiscent of Passing.

6 The Great Gatsby (2013)

The theme of social acceptance is explored in many interesting ways in Passing through the two main characters. While Irene uses her passing for the sake of convenience, Clare sees it as a way into a better life while also not ever feeling secure in that life.

The Great Gatsby is a classic story that explores the idea of social acceptance in similar ways. While it has been told many times over, Baz Luhrmann’s take on The Great Gatsby with Leonardo DiCaprio is a vibrant and intoxicating look at the roaring ’20s.

5 Dear White People (2014)

Tessa Thompson delivers perhaps the best performance of her career in Passing. And another terrific movie in Thompson’s filmography features a similarly powerful performance while also touching on some similar themes.

Dear White People is a social satire exploring the lives of Black students at an Ivy League school. The movie explores racial identity in some interesting ways. And similar to Passing, the theme of Black people “betraying” their race is a topic that is addressed.

4 Hidden Figures (2016)

Irene and Clare’s journey of searching for acceptance throughout Passing is a fairly tragic one. However, similar themes are explored in the more inspiring story of this kind in Hidden Figures.

The movie is set in the 1960s and stars Taraji P. Henson, Octavia Spencer, and Janelle Monae as three Black women who were instrumental in NASA’s space program. Though it might not be the most complex story of racism in America, the true story of these women is hard not to get caught up in.

3 School Ties (1992)

The concept of “passing” is something that has been seen by people of different races, religions, and sexual orientations. It is explored in the powerful and underrated teen drama, School Ties which stars Brendan Fraser as a young Jewish man who must conceal his background when attending an elite prep school.

Fraser gives a compelling lead performance as the young man who finds himself surrounded by intolerant people. It is also notable for featuring early roles for Matt Damon and Ben Affleck as some of the villainous students.

2 Jungle Fever (1991)

The theme of interracial romances as a taboo is also explored in Passing as Clare hides her true background from her racist husband. Spike Lee explored this perceived taboo in another of his movies in Jungle Fever.

Wesley Snipes stars as a successful Black man whose affair with a white woman draws different reactions from the people in their life. It is a charming, powerful, and romantic movie that is also notable for featuring a terrific early performance from Samuel L. Jackson.

1 Loving (2016)

Ruth Negga is the other lead actor in Passing and also delivers a tremendous performance as the complex character of Clare. Negga gave another acclaimed performance that led to her Oscar-nomination in the period drama Loving.

Negga and Joel Edgerton star in the true story of a couple in 1960s Virginia who fought a legal battle for defying the state’s laws against interracial marriages. It is a beautiful and powerful drama featuring some excellent performances.

About The Author

Colin McCormick
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Colin McCormick is a Senior Writer with Screen Rant and has been a proud member of the team since 2019. In addition to his work as Screen Rant, Colin is also a writer of News, Feature and Review pieces at Game Rant. Colin has had a long passion and obsession with movies going back to the first time he saw The Lion King in theaters. Along with movies, Colin stays up-to-date on the latest must-see TV shows. While he loves to find interesting projects in any kind of genre, he has a special movie of crime stories that are infused with a little dark humor much like the work of his favorite author, Elmore Leonard.

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