--- title: "Before Sunrise" year: 1995 kind: "film" canonical: "https://film.one/film/before-sunrise" fi1m_id: "before-sunrise" imdb_id: "tt0112471" tmdb_id: 76 wikidata_id: "Q659609" fi1m_score: 89 critics_score: 82 critics_reviews: 13 published: "2026-09-13" updated: "2026-09-18T08:38:10.078329+00:00" region: "RO" licence: "© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL." --- # Before Sunrise (1995) Directed by Richard Linklater · 1h 41m · Drama, Romance ## Identity Before Sunrise - **Canonical:** https://film.one/film/before-sunrise - **Type:** Film - **Fi1m ID:** before-sunrise - **IMDb ID:** tt0112471 - **TMDB ID:** 76 - **Wikidata ID:** Q659609 - **Same entity:** https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0112471/, https://www.themoviedb.org/movie/76, https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q659609 **Fi1m score: 89** · Critics 82 from 13 reviews *In a sentence:* Two strangers talk all night, and for once we would rather listen than get some sleep > Richard Linklater makes a night of conversation feel absorbing and unexpectedly tender. Ethan Hawke and Julie Delpy give the romance its awkward life, though the talk occasionally sounds too pleased with its own intelligence. ## Synopsis Jesse (Ethan Hawke) and Céline (Julie Delpy) meet on a train and spend a night wandering through Vienna. Both are young travellers, and neither knows the other beyond what they choose to say as they walk. Conversation becomes their way of testing an attraction, with stretches of talk giving way to moments when neither says much at all. Richard Linklater directs from a screenplay written with Kim Krizan, keeping the story with the pair as they get to know someone who, until the train journey, was a stranger. ## Review Richard Linklater’s *Before Sunrise* is a funny, affecting romance that earns our interest in two people by letting them talk. The story stays with Jesse and Céline, who meet on a train and spend a night wandering through Vienna. We recommend it warmly, with a warning for anyone who needs a plot to keep changing direction. It helps that Linklater understands how much effort goes into sounding spontaneous. The screenplay, written by Linklater and Kim Krizan, gives the conversation the awkwardness of people trying to be interesting without seeming to try. Their opinions matter because each wants to know what the other makes of them. We listen partly for what they think, but also for the impression they hope to make. That keeps even the more expansive stretches from sounding like a discussion that could have happened between any two strangers. Ethan Hawke’s Jesse and Julie Delpy’s Céline are persuasive because neither performer treats attraction as something that removes embarrassment. They make the effort of getting acquainted visible even when the conversation seems easy. We felt unexpectedly nervous for them when the talking gave way to silence. After all that apparent confidence, simply being together without a subject to discuss suddenly looks difficult. Those wordless moments make us care about them more than another clever exchange would. Lee Daniel’s cinematography makes the listener worth watching even during the more fluent stretches of conversation. We keep looking for the small signs that a remark has landed differently from how it was meant. Sheri Galloway and Sandra Adair’s editing gives the exchanges room without making every pause seem momentous. The relaxed pace works because a change in the pair’s ease with each other can be enough to move a scene along. Florian Reichmann’s production design helps Vienna feel hospitable to this aimless evening, a place where lingering seems a reasonable thing to do. The city is a flattering setting for their freedom from ordinary obligations, and the film makes no great effort to disguise that. Fred Frith’s music stays modest beside the conversation. That restraint works: we can attend to the changes in the speakers’ voices without being told how much each exchange should matter. There are stretches when their self-consciousness becomes wearing. Linklater and Krizan occasionally let a line sound too pleased with its own intelligence, and an exchange can continue after we have grasped what each person is trying to communicate. Anyone irritated by young people working out what they think in public will find some of this hard going. The film’s freedom from practical worries is part of its pleasure, though it makes the evening feel a little protected. Yet a romance is allowed an unusually fortunate meeting, and this one is attentive to the uncertainty that survives good luck. Across its 101 minutes, it gives embarrassment and curiosity time that a more hurried courtship would spend on complications. The modest scale feels right for the people in it. Make time for it when conversation is what you want from an evening, rather than something to talk over. *Fi1m score 89, published 13 September 2026.* ## What the critics say Most critics are won over, and the praise clusters on the talk. Reviews describe the dialogue between Ethan Hawke and Julie Delpy as witty, perceptive and lifelike, and several credit Richard Linklater with making a single night of wandering Vienna feel like a story rather than an exercise. The chemistry of the two leads comes up in nearly every notice, and most treat the film’s refusal to tie things up neatly as a strength rather than an evasion. Reservations are few and mild, and the spread is narrow. The one mixed notice is Variety, where Todd McCarthy finds the premise appealing but the constant conversation and repeated settings wearing, and rates Delpy’s performance well above Hawke’s. The Los Angeles Times and The Independent are warmer but call the film minor or risky, enjoying the talk without being swept away. The most recent reviews are among the warmest, which suggests its standing has risen since 1995. ## Straight answers **Is Before Sunrise worth watching?** *Before Sunrise* is worth watching for anyone who wants an evening of conversation rather than plot, and we scored it 89. Ethan Hawke and Julie Delpy make two strangers getting acquainted in Vienna funny and unexpectedly tender. It is not for viewers who need the story to keep changing direction, and the talk occasionally sounds too pleased with itself. **How long is Before Sunrise, and what is it rated?** *Before Sunrise* runs 1h 41m. It is a drama and romance film. **Where can I watch Before Sunrise in Romania?** *Before Sunrise* is not on any streaming or rental service in Romania at the moment. It is available in 9 other countries; change your country at the top of the page to see where. Availability is checked daily. **How violent or frightening is Before Sunrise, and is it suitable for children?** *Before Sunrise* is a 15 certificate in the UK and an R in the US, and it is made for adults rather than children. There is nothing violent or frightening in it that we can point to; the film is a night of two young travellers talking and walking. The certificate reflects adult conversation and an adult romance, not anything alarming on screen. **How does Before Sunrise compare to Brief Encounter?** *Before Sunrise* and [*Brief Encounter*](https://film.one/film/brief-encounter) are both romances built on a chance meeting, but the earlier film is the more fearful and the better of the two. Linklater's pair are free of ordinary obligations and mostly free of embarrassment about being seen together; David Lean's lovers are not, and their anxiety gives his film a weight the Vienna night does not attempt. Choose Linklater for warmth, Lean for something that hurts. **What should I watch after Before Sunrise?** After *Before Sunrise*, try [*Brief Encounter*](https://film.one/film/brief-encounter) (1945, Fi1m 90): Another chance meeting, with less freedom and more fear of being seen. Then [*My Night at Maud's*](https://film.one/film/my-night-at-mauds) (1969, Fi1m 81): Personal principles become harder to defend when an attractive stranger is listening; and [*In the Mood for Love*](https://film.one/film/in-the-mood-for-love) (2000, Fi1m 91): For the glances and hesitations, with fewer words and stricter social limits. ### Reviews we read (13) - **Empire**, Caroline Westbrook (90/100, inferred): Linklater's intelligent, witty and poignant tale breathes new life into the romance genre with believable characters and a script that crackles with wit and wisdom. It is too intelligent to be soppy and too damn good to be ignored, feeding the mind as well as warming the heart. [Read](https://www.empireonline.com/movies/reviews/sunrise-review/) - **The Guardian**, Peter Bradshaw (90/100, inferred): The critic calls it a romance rather than a romcom or romantic drama, a brief encounter that feels like a strange and wonderful miracle without being cloying. They single out the film's elegant handling of unresolved sexual tension and the lightness with which the characters float through Vienna free from everyday cares. [Read](https://www.theguardian.com/film/2025/jan/30/before-sunrise-review-richard-linklater-ethan-hawke-julie-delpy) - **The New Yorker**, Anthony Lane (90/100, inferred): The review celebrates the film's odd, improvised-feeling structure of two strangers wandering and talking through Vienna, defying conventional plot rules. It singles out the strong performances by the leads that emerge from this open, bemused style. [Read](https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/1995/01/30/up-all-night) - **The New York Times**, Janet Maslin (90/100, inferred): The critic praises the film's capture of two young travelers' instant connection and free-flowing conversations during one night in Vienna. It highlights the director's skill in crafting fanciful yet lifelike dialogue that feels universal. [Read](https://www.nytimes.com/1995/01/27/movies/film-review-strangers-on-a-train-and-soul-mates-for-a-night.html) - **Time Out**, GA (90/100, inferred): The critic praises the film's ability to convey emotional truths through conversation between the leads, calling it a funny, poignant, perceptive brilliant gem. [Read](https://www.timeout.com/movies/before-sunrise) - **Little White Lies**, Jess Furseth (85/100, inferred): The critic praises the film's intimate focus on two characters giving each other undivided attention during a single night in Vienna. The piece highlights how the lack of modern distractions enhances the emotional connection and timeless appeal of the romance. [Read](https://lwlies.com/in-praise-of/before-sunrise-and-the-ultimate-intimacy) - **Slant Magazine** (85/100, inferred): Linklater’s films are profound and subversive romantic works that seduce with love-story conventions before undermining them with cynicism and despair. The critic singles out the depth of the protagonists’ conversations about mortality, transience, and permanence amid Vienna’s historic beauty. [Read](https://www.slantmagazine.com/film/before-sunrise-and-before-sunset-laden-with-happiness-and-tears/) - **RogerEbert.com**, Roger Ebert (3/4): Ebert praises the film's gentle, naturalistic portrayal of two young people meeting on a train and spending a night wandering Vienna in conversation. He highlights the authentic dialogue and the charming chemistry between Ethan Hawke and Julie Delpy as the standout elements. [Read](https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/before-sunrise-1995) - **Los Angeles Times**, Peter Rainer (70/100, inferred): The critic finds the film enjoyably minor, noting the engaging chemistry of the two leads and the director's intuitive handling of youthful self-consciousness and chance encounters. It succeeds as a mainstream youth romance with extra feeling and mystery. [Read](https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1995-01-27-ca-24805-story.html) - **The Independent**, Sheila Johnston (70/100, inferred): The film is a risky but largely successful departure for Linklater, sticking with two characters who meet on a train and spend a night chatting in Vienna. It offers diverting, cerebral conversation and sweet wordless moments but ends on a sceptical, faintly bittersweet note about relationships and time. [Read](https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/ships-that-pass-in-the-night-1616371.html) - **Variety**, Todd McCarthy (60/100, inferred): McCarthy finds the risky concept of two strangers spending one night together sympathetic and appealing but notes that the endless dialogue and repetitive settings grow wearing. He singles out Julie Delpy's mature, sparkling performance as the strongest element while finding Ethan Hawke's character relatively ordinary. [Read](https://variety.com/1995/film/reviews/before-sunrise-1200440016/) - **HeyUGuys** (85/100, inferred): The critic praises the film's simple premise of a chance encounter leading to a night of connection in Vienna and the strong chemistry and believable performances of Ethan Hawke and Julie Delpy. It singles out the romantic urgency, witty dialogue, and bittersweet ambiguity of the ending for particular praise. [Read](https://www.heyuguys.com/love-theatrically-day-12-before-sunrise/) - **Paste**, Andy Crump (85/100, inferred): The critic celebrates Before Sunrise as the start of an unexpected trilogy and a modern cinematic landmark that captures rich, valuable conversations about life. The central sustained dialogue is singled out for its heady yet down-to-earth quality, blending humor, tragedy, and heartbreak in a bittersweet ending. [Read](https://www.pastemagazine.com/movies/richard-linklater/the-rick-trospective-before-sunrise) ## Details - **Director:** Richard Linklater - **Director:** Richard Linklater - **Writer:** Richard Linklater, Kim Krizan - **Cinematography:** Lee Daniel - **Editor:** Sandra Adair, Sheri Galloway - **Music:** Fred Frith - **Production design:** Florian Reichmann - **Costume design:** Florentina Welley - **Producer:** Anne Walker-McBay - **Cast:** Ethan Hawke as Jesse; Julie Delpy as Céline; Andrea Eckert as Wife on Train; Hanno Pöschl as Husband on Train; Karl Bruckschwaiger as Guy on Bridge; Tex Rubinowitz as Guy on Bridge; Erni Mangold as Palm Reader; Dominik Castell as Street Poet - **Runtime:** 1h 41m - **First release (the US):** 19 January 1995 - **Genres:** Drama, Romance - **Budget:** $2 million - **Box office:** $6 million - **Trailer:** https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jGvcbSabADM ## Where to watch in Romania Not streaming, renting or buying in Romania at the last check. Also available in: AT, AU, CA, CH, DE, GB, IE, PT, US. Add `?region=XX` to this URL for another country. ## If you liked this - *Brief Encounter* (1945), Fi1m 90: Another chance meeting, with less freedom and more fear of being seen. — [Fi1m page](https://film.one/film/brief-encounter.md) - *My Night at Maud's* (1969), Fi1m 81: Personal principles become harder to defend when an attractive stranger is listening. — [Fi1m page](https://film.one/film/my-night-at-mauds.md) - *In the Mood for Love* (2000), Fi1m 91: For the glances and hesitations, with fewer words and stricter social limits. — [Fi1m page](https://film.one/film/in-the-mood-for-love.md) - *Weekend* (2011), Fi1m 86: Two men get acquainted, with frank talk and limited time together. — [Fi1m page](https://film.one/film/weekend.md) - *The Lunchbox* (2013), Fi1m 75: An accidental correspondence gives two lonely people room to speak honestly. — [Fi1m page](https://film.one/film/the-lunchbox.md) --- © Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL. Canonical: https://film.one/film/before-sunrise