--- title: "Before Sunrise: the reviews" canonical: "https://film.one/film/before-sunrise/reviews" title_page: "https://film.one/film/before-sunrise" critics_score: 82 critics_reviews: 13 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): what the critics said Critics' score 82 from 13 reviews: 12 positive, 1 mixed, 0 negative. 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. ## Empire — Caroline Westbrook Fi1m's normalised score 90/100 (inferred from the text). 1 January 2000. 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 the review](https://www.empireonline.com/movies/reviews/sunrise-review/) ## The Guardian — Peter Bradshaw Fi1m's normalised score 90/100 (inferred from the text). 30 January 2025. 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 the review](https://www.theguardian.com/film/2025/jan/30/before-sunrise-review-richard-linklater-ethan-hawke-julie-delpy) ## The New Yorker — Anthony Lane Fi1m's normalised score 90/100 (inferred from the text). 23 January 1995. 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 the review](https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/1995/01/30/up-all-night) ## The New York Times — Janet Maslin Fi1m's normalised score 90/100 (inferred from the text). 27 January 1995. 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 the review](https://www.nytimes.com/1995/01/27/movies/film-review-strangers-on-a-train-and-soul-mates-for-a-night.html) ## Time Out — GA Fi1m's normalised score 90/100 (inferred from the text). 10 September 2012. 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 the review](https://www.timeout.com/movies/before-sunrise) ## Little White Lies — Jess Furseth Fi1m's normalised score 85/100 (inferred from the text). 16 June 2025. 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 the review](https://lwlies.com/in-praise-of/before-sunrise-and-the-ultimate-intimacy) ## Slant Magazine Fi1m's normalised score 85/100 (inferred from the text). 11 January 2010. 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 the review](https://www.slantmagazine.com/film/before-sunrise-and-before-sunset-laden-with-happiness-and-tears/) ## RogerEbert.com — Roger Ebert Rating 3/4. 27 January 1995. 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 the review](https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/before-sunrise-1995) ## Los Angeles Times — Peter Rainer Fi1m's normalised score 70/100 (inferred from the text). 27 January 1995. 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 the review](https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1995-01-27-ca-24805-story.html) ## The Independent — Sheila Johnston Fi1m's normalised score 70/100 (inferred from the text). 19 April 1995. 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 the review](https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/ships-that-pass-in-the-night-1616371.html) ## Variety — Todd McCarthy Fi1m's normalised score 60/100 (inferred from the text). 18 January 1995. 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 the review](https://variety.com/1995/film/reviews/before-sunrise-1200440016/) ## HeyUGuys Fi1m's normalised score 85/100 (inferred from the text). 12 February 2011. 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 the review](https://www.heyuguys.com/love-theatrically-day-12-before-sunrise/) ## Paste — Andy Crump Fi1m's normalised score 85/100 (inferred from the text). 24 October 2014. 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 the review](https://www.pastemagazine.com/movies/richard-linklater/the-rick-trospective-before-sunrise) --- © Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL. Our review: https://film.one/film/before-sunrise.md