Before Midnight

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Before Midnight

R

Released May 24, 2013

1h 49m

Romance

Drama

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Popcornmeter

98%

Tomatometer

205 Reviews

82%

Popcornmeter

25,000+ Ratings

On the last night of their idyllic Greek vacation, longtime lovers Jesse (Ethan Hawke) and Celine (Julie Delpy) reminisce about their lives together and what different choices might have brought.

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Critics Consensus

Building on the first two installments in Richard Linklater's well-crafted Before trilogy, Before Midnight offers intelligent, powerfully acted perspectives on love, marriage, and long-term commitment.

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Oktay Ege Kozak

Bitch Media

A refreshing counter-point to Hollywood's typical happily ever after stories.

Jan 15, 2021

Full Review

Amy Taubin

Film Comment Magazine

Unleashing a stream of feminist consciousness that is both outraged and outrageous-and cathartic because we are laughing with her, not at her-Céline emerges as a 21st-century hero and Delpy as the Carole Lombard of our time.

Aug 28, 2019

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Candice Frederick

Reel Talk Online

While the film has certainly satisfied many audiences and critics across the board, I was left very cold and bewildered, questioning what I even saw.

Sep 6, 2017

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JD Duran

InSession Film

12 Years A Slave is one of the most arduous films to watch in 2013 but also one of the more powerful and moving films as well.

Aug 13, 2024

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Don Shanahan

Every Movie Has a Lesson

In another dialogue-driven showcase to match the first two chapters, the chemistry of the two leads back together has grown and matured to match the grown and matured characters they play.

Rated: 5/5

Feb 16, 2024

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Keith Garlington

Keith & the Movies

It uses many of the same familiar narrative structures of the previous films while also making a few pretty big departures.

Rated: 3.5/5

Aug 19, 2022

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Hao Ian L

Linklater's decision for a more formalistic style of storytelling in contrast to the previous installments though it may seem foreign, feels much more appealing and enjoyable. <i>Before Midnight</i> takes a more realistic and sometimes cynical approach to love, and if there's one thing Linklater does right it's the realistic portrayal of character development in the trilogy. With the growth and passage of time comes higher stakes and thus a more mature dialogue, which is perfectly shown in both sequels.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

10/27/24

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BJ M

Two hours of dialog - most of which is arguing.

Rated 2 out of 5 stars

09/26/24

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Carlos I

It's refreshing to revisit these characters all these years later and reveal that things aren't perfect. It's still this same couple we've come to love, and the conversation is just as deep and realistic as it has been from the beginning. Only seeing things from the perspective of a couple that have grown weary, but still love each other is wonderful.

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

09/15/24

Full Review

Mason M

I hated this film when I first saw it, I just thought that it was just two hours of these characters arguing. It was only on rewatch that I finally appreciated it as an important part of the Before Trilogy and just as good as the other two. The best way to look at this film is how Linklater himself described it once, the only way that they could do another film and keep it realistic. Before Midnight is a perfect epilogue to the Before Trilogy and a wonderfully made film.

Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars

09/14/24

Full Review

Collem T

When people talk about the great trilogies... they must not forget the Before series. Star Wars and LOTR are big and legendary and I love them, but don't sleep on this trilogy either.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

06/20/24

Full Review

Kesava Dharshan

Expected it to be a fairy tale, like the previous ones. But Man! it looked like a down to the ground true story.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

06/17/24

Full Review

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Richard Linklater

Director

Ethan Hawke

Jesse

Julie Delpy

Celine

Seamus Davey-Fitzpatrick

Hank

Jennifer Prior

Ella

Charlotte Prior

Nina

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Synopsis

On the last night of their idyllic Greek vacation, longtime lovers Jesse (Ethan Hawke) and Celine (Julie Delpy) reminisce about their lives together and what different choices might have brought.

Director: Richard Linklater
Producer: Richard Linklater, Christos V. Konstantakopoulos, Sara Woodhatch
Screenwriter: Richard Linklater, Julie Delpy, Ethan Hawke
Distributor: Sony Pictures Classics
Production Co: Faliro House, Castle Rock Entertainment, Venture Forth
Rating: R (Sexual Content/Nudity|Language)
Genre: Romance, Drama
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): May 24, 2013, Limited
Release Date (Streaming): Oct 15, 2013
Box Office (Gross USA): $8.1M
Runtime: 1h 49m

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