Parents' Guide to

Passages

By Kat Halstead, Common Sense Media Reviewer

age 16+

Intimate French drama has sex, nudity, strong language.

Movie NR 2023 91 minutes
Passages movie poster: Three figures face each other in abstract strips.

A Lot or a Little?

What you will—and won't—find in this movie.

  • Passages: A young White woman in a pink dress dances in a club with her arms in the air next to a young White man with short hair.
  • Passages: A young White woman sits opposite a White man at a cafe table by a window.
  • Passages: A young White man wearing a dark hat and coat as he rides a bicycle through the streets.

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What's the Story?

In PASSAGES, the marriage between gay couple Tomas (Franz Rogowski) and Martin (Ben Whishaw) is thrown into crisis when one of them enters into an affair with a younger woman called Agathe (Adele Exarchopoulos). It sets in motion a chain of events that explores the nature of love, relationships, desire, and ego.

Is It Any Good?

Our review:
Parents say: Not yet rated
Kids say: Not yet rated

Director Ira Sachs (Love Is Strange, Little Men) delivers here another highly personal account of relationships and their complexities. Passages takes the point of view of fictional film director Tomas, a needy, narcissistic, yet hopelessly romantic lead who bounces back and forth between his long-suffering husband Martin and new lover Agathe. Intrinsically unlikable but undeniably watchable, Tomas is the kind of messy, flawed, and oddly captivating lead that Sachs and his long-time writing partner Mauricio Zacharias never fail to deliver. As Tomas, Rogowski's on-screen presence perfectly complements Whishaw's measured yet heartfelt performance and Exarchopoulos' fiery determination. About as far from a sugar-coated Hollywood love triangle as you could get, the film has a grit, realism, and sexual intimacy that feels suitably French for its Parisian setting.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

  • Families can talk about the portrayal of sex in Passages. Was it affectionate? Respectful? Parents, talk to your teens about your own values regarding sex and relationships.

  • The main couple in the movie are in a gay relationship. Why is important to see LGBTQ+ representation on-screen -- particularly in central characters rather than supporting roles?

  • Talk about the strong language used in the movie. Did it seem necessary or excessive? What did it contribute to the movie?

Movie Details

  • In theaters: August 4, 2023
  • On DVD or streaming: December 12, 2023
  • Cast: Franz Rogowski , Ben Whishaw , Adele Exarchopoulos
  • Director: Ira Sachs
  • Inclusion Information: Gay directors, Gay actors, Female actors, Gay writers, Female writers
  • Studio: MUBI
  • Genre: Drama
  • Run time: 91 minutes
  • MPAA rating: NR
  • Last updated: December 28, 2023

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