The Pass (2016): One Night. One Kiss. Everything Changed.
The Pass is a hauntingly intimate film that kicks far beyond the football pitch β and straight into the human heart. Set in a world defined by performance, reputation, and ruthless masculinity, this understated British drama becomes something electric, tragic, and unforgettable.
Russell Tovey delivers a career-defining performance as Jason, a rising football star with everything to lose. On the eve of his big league debut, he shares a hotel room with his teammate Ade (played with quiet intensity by Arinze Kene). As nerves build and pressure mounts, a single moment β a kiss β becomes the crack that splinters their lives for the next decade.
The brilliance of The Pass lies in its simplicity. The entire story unfolds in just three scenes, across three nights in Jasonβs life, spread over ten years. Yet what it explores β identity, shame, longing, denial β feels enormous. The film doesnβt need crowd roars or stadium lights to be powerful. It burns in whispers, glances, and the weight of everything not said.
Director Ben A. Williams keeps the camera close, almost claustrophobic, emphasizing the isolation of Jasonβs world. The locker rooms, hotel suites, and sterile flats he moves through feel more like cages than sanctuaries. Even at the peak of fame, he’s a man running from himself.
Toveyβs portrayal is staggering β full of rage, vulnerability, and brittle charm. As Jason climbs the ranks, he becomes colder, more volatile, and yet the pain behind his bravado remains unmistakable. It’s not about whether heβs gay or straight β itβs about what happens when you bury the truth for too long.
The supporting cast is excellent, but itβs the chemistry (and eventual fracture) between Jason and Ade that fuels the emotional engine. Their relationship is tender, tense, and tragic β the kind of bond that was never allowed to bloom, not because it wasn’t real, but because the world wouldn’t permit it.
Rating: 8.8/10 β Quiet, courageous, and devastatingly human. The Pass is a story about masculinity, repression, and the cost of pretending. It may be set in the world of football, but it speaks to anyone whoβs ever hidden their truth behind a uniform.
