---
title: "Before Sunset"
year: 2004
kind: "film"
canonical: "https://film.one/film/before-sunset"
fi1m_id: "before-sunset"
imdb_id: "tt0381681"
tmdb_id: 80
wikidata_id: "Q652186"
fi1m_score: 91
critics_score: 84
critics_reviews: 13
published: "2026-09-14"
updated: "2026-09-26T18:26:52.046381+00:00"
region: "GR"
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 Sunset (2004)

Directed by Richard Linklater · 1h 20m · ΓΓΤΕ 16 · Drama, Romance

## Identity

Before Sunset

- **Canonical:** https://film.one/film/before-sunset
- **Type:** Film
- **Fi1m ID:** before-sunset
- **IMDb ID:** tt0381681
- **TMDB ID:** 80
- **Wikidata ID:** Q652186
- **Same entity:** https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0381681/, https://www.themoviedb.org/movie/80, https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q652186

**Fi1m score: 91** · Critics 84 from 13 reviews

*In a sentence:* All that Parisian scenery, and we spend the film inspecting two faces for signs of encouragement

> Richard Linklater’s *Before Sunset* is a romance we would recommend to almost anyone. Ethan Hawke and Julie Delpy make its long conversations gripping, even when the dialogue sounds a little too carefully prepared.

## Synopsis

Jesse (Ethan Hawke) and Céline (Julie Delpy) meet again in Paris, nine years after their earlier romance. As they walk through the city, they talk about the lives they have led apart and return to the connection they once shared. Familiarity makes conversation possible, but it does not make candour easy. Recollections, opinions and jokes offer ways to approach subjects each has reasons to avoid, as both decide how much they are prepared to tell the other. Richard Linklater follows their reunion in real time, with the conversation moving between catching up and reconsidering the past.

## Review

Richard Linklater asks us to spend 80 minutes listening closely to two people, and gives us ample reason to do it. In *Before Sunset*, Jesse and Céline meet again in Paris nine years after their earlier romance, with enough familiarity to talk freely and enough uncertainty to make that freedom risky. We would recommend it even to those who normally grow impatient with talkative romances. Every change of subject raises the possibility that they are about to say something they cannot take back.

Ethan Hawke’s Jesse and Julie Delpy’s Céline have the conversational ease of people who remember enjoying each other’s company. The actors also make us notice how much effort goes into sounding casual. Hawke lets Jesse’s wish to impress remain visible; Delpy gives Céline’s candour an edge that makes easy reassurance difficult. We felt unexpectedly anxious when their banter gave way to talk of disappointment: they sounded like people who could still hurt each other. The affection is convincing enough for an ill-judged remark to matter.

The screenplay is credited to Linklater, Hawke and Delpy, and the actors sound comfortable pursuing a thought beyond the point where most scripts would change the subject. They allow their characters to be funny, repetitive and occasionally irritating. A remark can be offered as an opinion, then start to sound like a question about the person hearing it. We recognise the habit of discussing life in general when asking a personal question would make the speaker feel too exposed.

Lee Daniel’s cinematography keeps pace with the pair in long, warmly lit tracking shots, allowing their talk to find its rhythm. Paris is attractive without requiring a separate pause for admiration. Baptiste Glaymann’s production design is similarly unobtrusive, leaving the surroundings secondary to the conversation. The city remains present as they walk, but Daniel gives us time to watch the actors listening as well as speaking.

Sandra Adair’s editing preserves the sense of a conversation unfolding in real time, without making its continuity feel like an exercise. The long takes earn their length because the balance between the two people keeps changing. At 80 minutes, there is little opportunity to forget an awkward remark before its implications become apparent. Linklater trusts us to remember what has been said, and to notice when the subject has been changed a little too quickly.

There are exchanges where that conversational fluency becomes too polished. Linklater, Hawke and Delpy sometimes give their characters observations that sound prepared for an appreciative audience, and the pair’s self-absorption can become tiring. We wanted a little less ready-made wisdom in those passages. The performances keep them tolerable: neither actor insists on being charming, and their occasional vanity feels plausible in people hoping to make a good impression on someone whose opinion still matters.

As a romance, it gives unusual weight to the work of catching up: deciding what to disclose, judging a response, trying again. The pleasure comes from seeing two articulate people discover that being able to talk does not settle what they need to say. Linklater lets regret complicate their pleasure in meeting, and takes their disappointments seriously enough to make us care about what they risk by speaking frankly. Watch it with someone who will want to talk afterwards.

*Fi1m score 91, published 14 September 2026.*

## What the critics say

Most critics respond warmly to Before Sunset, with praise clustering around Hawke and Delpy’s chemistry, the natural dialogue and the emotional weight of the reunion. The reviews repeatedly credit the real-time structure and long takes with allowing casual conversation to disclose regret, disappointment and lingering desire without forcing the drama. Several regard it as a deeper, more mature continuation of the first film, finding that its romanticism survives the characters’ greater experience of unhappiness.

The spread is largely positive, and reservations are limited rather than widely shared. Empire notes concerns about the short runtime and abrupt ending, though other reviews praise the ending as a particular strength. Eye for Film supplies the sole mixed assessment: it admires the conversational rhythm and filmmaking but finds the characters self-involved and their observations platitudinous, marking the clearest disagreement over the people whose company most critics find compelling.

## Straight answers

**Is Before Sunset worth watching?**

*Before Sunset* is worth watching for almost anyone, and we scored it 91. Ethan Hawke and Julie Delpy make 80 minutes of walking and talking through Paris gripping, because every change of subject risks something one of them cannot take back. Our one reservation is that the dialogue sometimes sounds too carefully prepared, and the pair's self-absorption can tire.

**How long is Before Sunset, and what is it rated?**

*Before Sunset* runs 1h 20m and is rated 16 by the ΓΓΤΕ in Greece. It is a drama and romance film.

**Where can I watch Before Sunset in Greece?**

*Before Sunset* is available to rent from Apple TV from €3.99. Availability is checked daily; the links above go straight to each service.

**How violent or frightening is Before Sunset, and is it suitable for children?**

*Before Sunset* contains no violence and nothing frightening; it is a 15 certificate in the UK and rated R in the US for adult language and frank talk about relationships. It is two people in conversation for 80 minutes, so it is unsuitable for children only in the sense that they would be bored. Teenagers who like talkative romances will manage it.

**How does Before Sunset compare to Before Sunrise?**

*Before Sunset* is the graver of the two films, with Jesse and Céline meeting again nine years after the night of [*Before Sunrise*](https://film.one/film/before-sunrise) and talking around lives that have disappointed them. The earlier film offers the fresher, more innocent intimacy; this one gives the conversation more at stake, and we think it the richer. Both share the habit of dialogue that occasionally sounds pleased with itself.

**What should I watch after Before Sunset?**

After *Before Sunset*, try [*Before Sunrise*](https://film.one/film/before-sunrise) (1995, Fi1m 89): For more conversational intimacy, with fewer years of disappointment to talk around. Then [*Brief Encounter*](https://film.one/film/brief-encounter) (1945, Fi1m 90): For the quiet distress of wanting something that cannot fit your existing life; and [*My Night at Maud's*](https://film.one/film/my-night-at-mauds) (1969, Fi1m 81): For arguments about belief and attraction that become a surprisingly personal evening.

### Reviews we read (13)

- **Los Angeles Times**, Manohla Dargis (90/100, inferred): The critic calls it a rapturous return and a triumphant breakthrough for Linklater, celebrating how it takes love seriously in every sense. It singles out the collaborative screenplay and the matured talent on display in the actors' performances. [Read](https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-2004-jul-02-et-dargis2-story.html)
- **Sight and Sound**, Nick James (90/100, inferred): The sequel surpasses the original as a sophisticated, mature 'romance for realists' with naturalistic dialogue largely developed by the actors. It excels in its real-time structure, emotional unravelling, and the performances of Hawke and Delpy, capturing regret and reconnection with rare depth. [Read](http://old.bfi.org.uk/sightandsound/feature/105)
- **The Hollywood Reporter**, Kirk Honeycutt (90/100, inferred): The critic calls it one of the most wildly romantic movies in ages and a hugely successful experiment in captivating an audience with real-time conversation between two people. They single out the excellent chemistry between the leads and the accomplished guerrilla filmmaking style. [Read](https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/general-news/before-sunset-review-movie-2004-1222289/)
- **The New York Times**, A. O. Scott (90/100, inferred): The critic praises the film as prickly and enchanting, noting how it reunites the characters in real time as they catch up and relive their past connection. It singles out the deceptive languor of the real-time unfolding and the way it supports and undermines ideas about time. [Read](https://www.nytimes.com/2004/07/02/movies/film-review-reunited-still-talking-still-uneasy.html)
- **Slant Magazine**, Nick Schager (85/100, inferred): The critic highlights the film's unparalleled ability to capture the rhythm of everyday dialogue and its shift to a somber wistfulness reflecting the characters' maturation. They single out Linklater's optimistic belief in conversation as a unifying force amid the protagonists' regrets and barriers. [Read](https://www.slantmagazine.com/film/before-sunset/)
- **The AV Club**, Scott Tobias (85/100, inferred): The critic praises the film as a meaningful continuation that deepens the original story and evokes strong emotion through its reunion and revelations. They single out the effortless long-take conversation that moves from banter to matters of the heart and the strong ending. [Read](https://www.avclub.com/before-sunset-1798199738)
- **The New Yorker**, David Denby (85/100, inferred): The review finds the film enchanting but deeper than its predecessor, with more direct intimations of disappointment and unhappiness, while highlighting the real-time structure and the characters' candid talk. It singles out the form as the source of the drama and the insight that people get hungrier for experience as they age. [Read](https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2004/07/05/wanderers)
- **Time Out**, NB (85/100, inferred): A beautifully vibrant and big-spirited follow-up that maintains pristine naturalism while adding self-reflexive layers. Linklater captures the couple's reunion walk with Rohmer-like dialogue, chemistry, and a sublime ending that lights up passions and possibilities. [Read](https://www.timeout.com/movies/before-sunset-1)
- **Empire**, Angie Errigo (80/100, inferred): The critic praises the literate and candid sequel for its real-feeling characters, universal themes of regret and desire, strong performances by Hawke and Delpy, and the seductive Paris setting with golden tracking shots. Some note issues with the short runtime and abrupt ending, but overall it is seen as an involving and honest study of love. [Read](https://www.empireonline.com/movies/reviews/sunset-2-review/)
- **Screen Daily** (80/100, inferred): Utterly charming with a light but not superficial touch rarely seen in contemporary romances. It benefits from strong casting and chemistry between Hawke and Delpy, rich undertones from the first film, and convincing performances in its real-time Paris stroll. [Read](https://www.screendaily.com/before-sunset/4017296.article)
- **The Guardian**, Peter Bradshaw (80/100, inferred): The critic calls it a charming and affecting sequel that reunites the characters nine years later in Paris and retains the gentleness, romanticism, and idealism of the first film. He singles out its shrewd insights into the secret motivations of the young male writer seeking to conquer the past through autobiographical art. [Read](https://www.theguardian.com/film/2004/jul/23/before-sunset-review)
- **Evening Standard**, Nina Caplan (75/100, inferred): The critic calls the film another magical journey, noting that it could have spoiled the original but instead delivers an intoxicating blend of adult intellect, passion and humour in Paris. Only some pitiful extras are seen as minor flaws. [Read](https://www.standard.co.uk/culture/film/plenty-of-heat-before-sunset-7383828.html)
- **Eye for Film**, David Haviland (65/100, inferred): The critic admires the real-time storytelling, long takes, natural dialogue (mostly written by the actors), and realistic portrayal of two former lovers reuniting in Paris nine years later, but wishes he liked the film more because the characters come across as self-involved faux-intellectuals spouting platitudes. [Read](https://www.eyeforfilm.co.uk/review/before-sunset-film-review-by-david-haviland)

## Details

- **Director:** Richard Linklater
- **Director:** Richard Linklater
- **Screenplay:** Ethan Hawke, Julie Delpy, Richard Linklater
- **Story:** Kim Krizan, Richard Linklater
- **Cinematography:** Lee Daniel
- **Editor:** Sandra Adair
- **Production design:** Baptiste Glaymann
- **Costume design:** Thierry Delettre
- **Producer:** Anne Walker-McBay, Richard Linklater
- **Cast:** Ethan Hawke as Jesse; Julie Delpy as Céline; Vernon Dobtcheff as Bookstore Manager; Louise Lemoine Torrès as Journalist #1; Rodolphe Pauly as Journalist #2; Mariane Plasteig as Waitress; Diabolo as Philippe; Denis Evrard as Boat Attendant
- **Runtime:** 1h 20m
- **Certificate (ΓΓΤΕ):** 16
- **Release (Greece):** 16 June 2004
- **Genres:** Drama, Romance
- **Budget:** $3 million
- **Box office:** $16 million
- **Trailer:** https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jx0UWbMMZOQ

## Where to watch in Greece

- Apple TV: rent €3.99, hd
- Apple TV: buy €9.99, hd

*Checked 2026-09-14.*

Also available in: AR, AT, AU, BE, BG, BR, CA, CH, CL, CO, CZ, DE, DK, EE, ES, FI, FR, GB, GR, HR, HU, IE, IN, IT, JP, KR, LT, MX, NL, NO, NZ, PA, PL, PT, RO, RS, SE, US. Add `?region=XX` to this URL for another country.

## Awards

- Academy Awards 2005: Best Writing, Adapted Screenplay (nominated)

## If you liked this

- *Before Sunrise* (1995), Fi1m 89: For more conversational intimacy, with fewer years of disappointment to talk around. — [Fi1m page](https://film.one/film/before-sunrise.md)
- *Brief Encounter* (1945), Fi1m 90: For the quiet distress of wanting something that cannot fit your existing life. — [Fi1m page](https://film.one/film/brief-encounter.md)
- *My Night at Maud's* (1969), Fi1m 81: For arguments about belief and attraction that become a surprisingly personal evening. — [Fi1m page](https://film.one/film/my-night-at-mauds.md)
- *In the Mood for Love* (2000), Fi1m 91: For another romance in which restraint makes every small exchange more painful. — [Fi1m page](https://film.one/film/in-the-mood-for-love.md)
- *Certified Copy* (2010), Fi1m 84: For a talkative couple whose shared history becomes increasingly difficult to pin down. — [Fi1m page](https://film.one/film/certified-copy.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-sunset