Twenty minutes. That’s roughly how long it takes for a person to realize that Richard Linklater’s Before Sunrise series of movies isn’t actually about travel or Europe or even, strictly speaking, "love" in the Hallmark sense. It's about the terrifying, exhilarating speed of human connection. If you’ve ever sat across from a stranger on a train—or maybe just a bad Tinder date—and felt that desperate itch for the conversation to actually mean something, you’ve lived a version of these films.
Ethan Hawke and Julie Delpy didn't just play Jesse and Celine. They inhabited them over the course of eighteen years, creating a trilogy that feels less like a cinematic franchise and more like a long-term surveillance project on the human heart. It started in 1995 with a chance encounter in Vienna. It evolved into a desperate afternoon in Paris in 2004. It ended (or did it?) with a brutal, sun-drenched argument in Greece in 2013.
The magic isn't in the scenery. It's in the talk.
The Myth of the "Easy" Script
There is a common misconception that these movies were improvised. People watch Jesse and Celine stumble over their words, laugh at their own bad jokes, and talk over each other, and they think, "Oh, they just turned the camera on and let them go."
That is 100% false.
The scripts for the Before Sunrise series of movies were meticulously crafted. For Before Sunrise, Linklater worked with Kim Krizan to build the skeleton of the story. By the time they got to Before Sunset and Before Midnight, Hawke and Delpy were full-blown co-writers. They spent months in hotel rooms, debating the philosophy of time, the politics of gender, and whether or not their characters would actually still like each other after a decade of silence.
Every "um," every hair tuck, and every awkward silence was rehearsed. They wanted it to feel like life, but life is rarely this articulate. You’re seeing the result of three people—Linklater, Hawke, and Delpy—fusing their personal neuroses into a single narrative arc.
Before Sunrise: The High Stakes of Youth
In 1995, Jesse is a cynical American traveling through Europe to avoid going home. Celine is a passionate French student. They meet on a train. He convinces her to get off with him in Vienna by pitching a "time travel" scenario: imagine yourself decades from now, stuck in a boring marriage, wondering what happened to that guy you met on the train.
It’s a bold move. It’s also kinda creepy if you think about it too hard, but Ethan Hawke’s 90s-boy charm carries it.
The first film in the Before Sunrise series of movies is the ultimate "what if." They have one night. They have no phones. This is a crucial detail that modern viewers often overlook. In 1995, if you didn't exchange addresses or phone numbers, that person effectively ceased to exist once they left your line of sight. This creates a ticking clock that isn't about a bomb or a heist—it's about the sun coming up.
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They talk about reincarnation. They go to a record store and listen to Kath Bloom in a tiny booth, stealing glances but never quite making eye contact. It’s painful. It’s perfect. The film ends with a promise to meet in six months. No last names. No numbers. Just a date on a calendar.
Before Sunset: The Weight of Regret
Fast forward nine years. Before Sunset (2004) is arguably the masterpiece of the trilogy. It’s shot in near real-time. Jesse is now a successful author in Paris, doing a book tour for a novel that is—surprise—all about that night in Vienna.
Celine shows up at the bookstore.
The shift in tone is immediate. The idealism of the first movie is gone, replaced by the weary reality of being in your early 30s. Jesse is in a loveless marriage; Celine is disillusioned with the world. They only have about 80 minutes before Jesse has to catch a flight to the airport.
The camera follows them through the streets of Paris in long, unbroken takes. This is where the Before Sunrise series of movies really flexes its technical muscles. If Hawke or Delpy messed up a line 10 minutes into a walk-and-talk, they had to start the whole scene over. It creates a palpable tension. You can see the sweat. You can feel the desperation as they realize that the "one who got away" was actually the one they should have been with all along.
The ending of Before Sunset is legendary. Celine is dancing in her apartment to a Nina Simone record. Jesse is watching her, knowing he’s going to miss his plane. "Baby, you are gonna miss that plane," she says.
"I know," he replies.
Cut to black.
Before Midnight: The Brutal Reality of "Happily Ever After"
If the first movie is a dream and the second is a reconnection, Before Midnight (2013) is the hangover. It’s the film that many fans of the Before Sunrise series of movies actually hate because it’s too real.
They are together now. They have twin daughters. They are on vacation in Greece. And they are absolutely exhausted by each other.
The romantic strolls are replaced by a grueling, 30-minute argument in a hotel room. They fight about chores, career sacrifices, and whether Jesse is a "good" father. It’s uncomfortable to watch because it strips away the cinematic gloss. It shows that even the most "perfect" soulmates have to deal with the mundane reality of who takes out the trash and who gave up their life for the other.
Linklater doesn't take sides. You understand Celine's resentment; you understand Jesse's frustration. It’s a messy, loud, and incredibly brave piece of filmmaking. It suggests that love isn't a destination you reach; it’s a grueling, daily negotiation.
Why the Trilogy Works Where Others Fail
Most sequels try to go bigger. More action, more stakes, more characters. The Before Sunrise series of movies went smaller. It stayed focused on two people in a room (or on a street) talking.
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- The Aging Process: We literally see the actors age. Their faces change, their voices deepen, and their priorities shift. This creates a level of intimacy that CGI or "de-aging" tech can never replicate.
- The Philosophy of Time: Linklater is obsessed with time. In these movies, time is the villain. It’s always running out.
- The Lack of Resolution: Each film ends on an ambiguous note. Did they meet six months later? Does Jesse stay in Paris? Do they stay together after the fight in Greece? We are left to fill in the gaps with our own optimism or cynicism.
How to Watch (and Learn From) the Series
If you’re coming to these films for the first time, don't binge them. Let them sit. The gap between the movies is part of the experience.
For creators, the Before Sunrise series of movies is a masterclass in dialogue. It proves that you don't need a massive budget to tell a gripping story. You just need two people who have something to say and the courage to be vulnerable.
The real actionable takeaway here? Pay attention to how the characters listen. Jesse and Celine don't just wait for their turn to speak; they react to each other's ideas in real-time. They challenge each other.
What to do next:
- Watch the "Record Store" scene in Before Sunrise. Pay attention to the subtext. They aren't saying anything, but the scene tells you everything about their chemistry.
- Look for the "Long Takes." In Before Sunset, notice how long the camera stays on them without cutting. It forces you to stay present in the conversation.
- Read the scripts. If you’re a writer, seeing how these "natural" conversations look on the page is eye-opening. They are structured like music, with rhythms and recurring themes.
- Listen to the soundtrack. The music in the Before Sunrise series of movies is sparse but intentional. From the harpsichord in Vienna to the Nina Simone in Paris, it acts as a third character.
Ultimately, this trilogy reminds us that the most interesting thing in the world is still just another person. In a world of digital noise, there is something profoundly radical about two people just walking and talking until the sun comes up. It’s a high bar for romance, maybe an impossible one, but it’s a beautiful one to aim for.