Before Sunrise
R
Jan 27, 1995
Drama · At 101 minutes, it moves at the unhurried pace of an actual evening stroll.
Critic darling
8.1/10
IMDb
100%
Fresh
79
79/100
Metacritic
🎬
8.0/10
TMDB
The brief
Linklater turns a simple premise into pure conversational magic, letting Hawke and Delpy wander Vienna while building one of cinema's most believable romantic connections through nothing but talk. The dialogue feels completely natural yet surprisingly deep, like eavesdropping on two incredibly articulate people falling for each other in real time. It moves at the pace of an actual evening, unhurried and intimate, with long takes that let you sink into their chemistry. Perfect for anyone who loved Lost in Translation or thinks the best romantic scenes happen when people are just walking and talking.
intimate
conversational
vienna nights
philosophical
slow burn romance
naturalistic
bittersweet
The verdict
If you love films that prioritize smart conversation and slow-burn romance over plot mechanics, this is essential viewing that proves two great actors walking around a city can be utterly captivating. If you need constant action or story beats to stay engaged, you'll likely find this talky, meandering evening frustrating rather than romantic.
Watch with
- 👫 Perfect for a quiet date night
- ⚠️ Might bore those wanting action
Heads up
- Brief sexual discussion and innuendo (brief)
Credits
- Director
- Richard Linklater
- Cast
- Ethan Hawke, Julie Delpy, Andrea Eckert, Hanno Pöschl, Karl Bruckschwaiger, Tex Rubinowitz, Erni Mangold
Official synopsis
An unexpected meeting on a train leads two travelers to spend an evening wandering through Vienna. As the night
