The Pass (2016), directed by Ben A. Williams and adapted from John Donnelly’s stage play, is a raw, intimate drama that explores masculinity, sexuality, and the suffocating pressures of professional football. Set almost entirely in hotel rooms across three pivotal nights in the lives of two footballers, the film is driven by a single moment — a kiss — and the emotional fallout that spans a decade.
The story begins with Jason (Russell Tovey) and Ade (Arinzé Kene), two young, closeted Premier League hopefuls sharing a room on the eve of a career-defining match. As their locker-room banter slips into vulnerability, an impulsive kiss changes everything. What follows is a tense exploration of denial, repression, and toxic masculinity, as Jason’s career rises while Ade fades into obscurity — each shaped and scarred by what happened in that room.
Russell Tovey delivers a tour-de-force performance as Jason, capturing the character’s inner turmoil with painful precision. He shifts between charm and cruelty, masking his self-loathing behind bravado and fame. Arinzé Kene’s portrayal of Ade provides a grounded, heart-wrenching counterbalance — a man who suffers not only for loving, but for letting go.
Visually, The Pass stays true to its theatrical roots: confined spaces, minimal set changes, and emotionally charged dialogue. But rather than feeling limited, the setting amplifies the claustrophobia of the characters' world — where privacy is scarce, public image is everything, and authenticity is a threat.
The film tackles important themes: the culture of homophobia in sports, the cost of suppressing identity, and the long-term damage of living a lie. It doesn’t offer easy resolutions — instead, it examines how choices made in fear can echo through a lifetime.
A fictional sequel — The Pass: Extra Time — could revisit Jason ten years later, now retired and estranged, quietly navigating a world that has changed more than he has. He lives in luxurious isolation, his fame faded, his legacy complicated. But when a new, openly gay football prodigy publicly credits Ade as his inspiration, Jason is forced to confront the truth he’s long buried.
Haunted by memories and driven by regret, Jason seeks out Ade one last time. Their reunion, awkward and charged, unfolds over a single night — mirroring the original — where past pain meets present possibility. Can forgiveness be found? Can identity finally be reclaimed?
The sequel would expand on the emotional weight of the original, exploring themes of redemption, aging, and the healing power of truth. In a world slowly evolving, Extra Time would ask: is it ever too late to come out — not just to the world, but to yourself?
