Movie · 2013 · Romance, Drama · 1h 49m · R · English
Curator score: 8.9/10 (697.3K ratings)
Everything's better with maturity.
Overview
It has been nine years since we last met Jesse and Celine, the French-American couple who once met on a train in Vienna. They now live in Paris with twin daughters but have spent a summer in Greece at the invitation of an author colleague of Jesse's. When the vacation is over and Jesse must send his teenage son off to the States, he begins to question his life decisions, and his relationship with Celine is at risk.
Ratings
Curator score: 8.9/10
IMDb: 7.9/10
Letterboxd: 4.02/5
Rotten Tomatoes: 98%
Metacritic: 94
TMDB: 7.5/10
Director
Richard Linklater
Production
Castle Rock Entertainment, Detour Filmproduction, Faliro House Productions, Venture Forth, IM Global
Cast
Ethan Hawke, Julie Delpy, Seamus Davey-Fitzpatrick, Jennifer Prior, Charlotte Prior, Xenia Kalogeropoulou, Walter Lassally, Ariane Labed, Yiannis Papadopoulos, Athina Rachel Tsangari, Panos Koronis, Enrico Focardi, Manolis Goussias, Anouk Servera, Yota Argyropoulou, Serafeim Radis, John Sloss, Tety Kalafati
Curator Review
Verdict
A sharp, intimate relationship drama that trades plot mechanics for emotional truth. It’s funny, painful, and brutally observant about long-term love, resentment, desire, and the compromises that come with adulthood.
Best for
viewers who like talk-driven character studies
fans of realistic relationship dramas
people interested in middle-aged romance and marital tension
audiences who appreciate long takes and naturalistic dialogue
viewers who want a sequel that deepens rather than repeats
Skip if
you want a conventional romance with clear catharsis
you dislike extended dialogue scenes
you prefer high-concept plotting or fast pacing
you’re looking for escapist or feel-good relationship stories
Overview
Before Midnight is the rare sequel that feels less like a continuation than a reckoning. Jesse and Celine are no longer the idealized young lovers of memory; they’re parents, partners, and flawed adults trying to keep a marriage alive under the pressure of history, ego, and unmet expectations.
Worth noting
Richard Linklater, Ethan Hawke, and Julie Delpy turn conversation into combat and confession. The film is often hilarious, but the humor lands because it’s embedded in real hurt. Every exchange feels lived-in, and the Greek setting only sharpens the sense that this relationship is being examined in the open, with nowhere to hide.
Bottom line
What makes it so powerful is its refusal to simplify love into either destiny or disappointment. It understands that intimacy can survive only by confronting the parts of ourselves we’d rather edit out. The result is tense, tender, and devastatingly honest.
Top Letterboxd reviews
Bethany (5★) · 21203 likes
“the first film is about what could be, the second is about what should have been; before midnight is about what it is.” — ethan hawke <3
issy 🥝 (3★) · 17782 likes
friend: can you pass the salad
celine: oh you know what men always do when you talk about salad? they get horny. i'll tell you the difference between men and women, women are lettuce and men are celery. listen i watched this documentary on a serial killer who asked for a salad for his last meal. jesse would've ordered a burger king. i have an american husband. god did you read his book? it's so embarrassing listen if you read… more friend: can you pass the salad
celine: oh you know what men always do when you talk about salad? they get horny. i'll tell you the difference between men and women, women are lettuce and men are celery. listen i watched this documentary on a serial killer who asked for a salad for his last meal. jesse would've ordered a burger king. i have an american husband. god did you read his book? it's so embarrassing listen if you read… more
#1 gizmo fan (5★) · 13093 likes
"If you want true love, then this is it."
I love being depressed and wanting to die!
Nakul (5★) · 10626 likes
"I fucked up my whole life because of the way you sing."
jeaba (3.5★) · 8146 likes
celine would be such a big fan of the "would you still love me if i was a worm" dilemma