Before Sunset

"What if you had a second chance with the one that got away?"

2004 1h 20m EN

🙌

7.8

BANGER

🔥

94%

CERTIFIED FRESH

💯

METACRITIC

⭐

8.1

IMDB

★7.8TMDB · 3,947🍅94%Rotten Tomatoes●91Metacritic★8.1IMDB · 309,299

DramaRomance

Synopsis

Spoiler shield

Nine years later, Jesse travels across Europe giving readings from a book he wrote about the night he spent in Vienna with Celine. After his reading in Paris, Celine finds him, and they spend part of the day together before Jesse has to again leave for a flight. They are both in relationships now, and Jesse has a son, but as their strong feelings for each other start to return, both confess a longing for more.

“What if you had a second chance with the one that got away?”

WhatsApp X Facebook Telegram

Where to watch · US

Amazon VideoRent

Apple TV StoreRent

Google Play MoviesRent

YouTubeRent

Fandango At HomeRent

Spectrum On DemandRent

Amazon VideoBuy

Apple TV StoreBuy

Google Play MoviesBuy

YouTubeBuy

Fandango At HomeBuy

Cast

Ethan Hawke
Jesse
Julie Delpy
Céline
Vernon Dobtcheff
Bookstore Manager
Louise Lemoine Torrès
Journalist #1
Rodolphe Pauly
Journalist #2
Mariane Plasteig
Waitress
Diabolo
Philippe
Denis Evrard
Boat Attendant

Credits

Behind the camera

Director: Richard Linklater
Writers: Richard Linklater, Julie Delpy, Ethan Hawke
Languages: English, French
Countries: United States of America

Want more? Switch to Cinephile mode in the header for DP, composer, budget, box office, production companies, keywords, and release history.

Did you know?

Fun facts 🍿

1 / 8

RUNTIME

Did you know

80 minutes exactly — the "classic feature" runtime most directors aim for.

MoodPlayr · trivia#01

2 / 8

MONEY

Did you know

Shot for just $2.7M — micro-budget by Hollywood standards.

MoodPlayr · trivia#02

3 / 8

MONEY

Did you know

Made its money back 5.9× over at the box office.

MoodPlayr · trivia#03

4 / 8

ERA

Did you know

Released 22 years ago.

MoodPlayr · trivia#04

5 / 8

WORLD

Did you know

Dialogue crosses 2 languages: English, French.

MoodPlayr · trivia#05

6 / 8

CINEMA

Did you know

Part of the "Before... Collection" — so the characters or world continue elsewhere.

MoodPlayr · trivia#06

7 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Directed by Richard Linklater, shot by Lee Daniel. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.

MoodPlayr · trivia#07

8 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Editor Sandra Adair shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.

MoodPlayr · trivia#08

Cinephile deep dive

The take

Richard Linklater directs. Lee Daniel behind the camera. Sandra Adair cuts. Runs lean at under 100 minutes. Made its budget back several times over at the box office. Produced in United States of America. Dialogue in English, French.

Trivia

Things worth knowing

180 minutes exactly — the "classic feature" runtime most directors aim for.
2Shot for just $2.7M — micro-budget by Hollywood standards.
3Made its money back 5.9× over at the box office.
4Released 22 years ago.
5Dialogue crosses 2 languages: English, French.
6Part of the "Before... Collection" — so the characters or world continue elsewhere.
7Directed by Richard Linklater, shot by Lee Daniel. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.
8Editor Sandra Adair shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.
9Ethan Hawke and Julie Delpy and Vernon Dobtcheff carry the top of the cast.
10Marketing tagline: "What if you had a second chance with the one that got away?".
11IMDB entry: tt0381681 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.
12Classified under 11 themes, including "journalist", "talking", "soulmates", "walking".

The technical file

Cinematography: Lee Daniel
Editing: Sandra Adair
Production design: Baptiste Glaymann
Costume design: Thierry Delettre
Makeup / hair: Anne Bourdiol
Sound: Larry Blake
Runtime: 80 min · 1h 20m
Aspect ratio (typical): 1.37:1 (Academy)
Status: Released
Budget: $2,700,000
Box office: $15,992,615
Return: 592% of budget
Original language: EN
Certification (US): R
IMDB: Before Sunset (2004)
Rotten Tomatoes: 94% 🍅 Fresh
Metacritic: 91/100
IMDB rating: 8.1/10 · 309,299 votes
MPAA: R

Awards

Nominated for 1 Oscar. 10 wins & 32 nominations total

Part of

Before... Collection

The "Before" trilogy—comprising "Before Sunrise," "Before Sunset," and "Before Midnight"—chronicles the evolving relationship of Jesse and Céline, capturing their encounters across three different periods in their lives. Set in picturesque European cities, each film explores the couple's complex yet enthralling connection, unfolding over conversations that are profound, introspective, and richly romantic. Spanning nearly two decades, the trilogy delves into the nuances of love, life choices, and the passage of time, offering a poignant look at the trials and transformations of enduring love.

Also by

Richard Linklater

Stills · wallpapers

Selected frames

Full-resolution frames — open one to save it as a wallpaper.

Wallpaper

Trailers & featurettes

Watch the pieces

Community reviews

What people are saying

CinemaSerf2026-07-04
★ 7/10
It's been almost a decade since "Jesse" (Ethan Hawke) met "Celine" (Julie Delpy) on that Austrian train and now he is a successful author on a book tour and visiting Paris. Guess who walks into the store seeking a signed copy? Did he turn up in Vienna six months after their last meeting like they agreed? Did she? That's the basis for their rekindling of the rapport that started back then, but after their initially enthusiastic welcoming of the other is that spark still going to be there? Like last time, he has a plane to catch so they only have a little time and decide to explore this city for a few hours whilst reminiscing about that night that inspired the substance of his successful novel and filling the other in on what's happened during their eventful lives. Perhaps because both are older and have acquired baggage in the intervening years, but this film didn't work so well for me. The joy and innocence has been replaced, quite naturally, by something closer to soap and the fine line between the observational humour and potency and that of melodrama is crossed once or twice, especially as she is in the taxi. It still has moments of intimacy that both generate well - without being particularly sexual, and the writing still has some of the sharpness that gave these two characters something engaging to say but the more set-piece nature of their exploration comes across as more strained and the freshness has been replaced with a disappointing cynicism for life and the choices they made and the people they chose. Maybe that was the point - but we've plenty of movies that illustrate dyfunctionalty and unhappiness, I'm not sure we needed this to take that route too.

Production companies