Netflix Just Lost Its Best Romantic Movie, But You Can Watch It on Apple TV
This is a love story that has lasted for decades.
Human life, like everything else in this world, is fleeting. Richard Linklater decided to divide human existence into three segments with nine-year intervals in his Before trilogy.
Linklater's work is both autobiographical and universal. In 1995, he released Before Sunrise – the film launched a romantic trilogy, with a strict nine-year interval between each movie.
Unfortunately, Netflix subscribers can no longer enjoy it in 2025 – but it doesn’t mean the movie isn’t a must-watch.
The Before Trilogy Spans 18 Years in the Lives of the Main Characters
We first meet the characters at the age of 23 in Before Sunrise. American dreamer Jesse is traveling across Europe by train. Before arriving in Vienna, he meets Céline from Paris. The acquaintance ends with Jesse persuading Céline to get off the train and they spend a night together.
Nine years later, in Before Sunset, the two were destined to meet again. Jesse has arrived in Paris for the presentation of his new book, which is dedicated to the best moment of his life – a night in Vienna with Céline.
Their meeting was both spontaneous and planned: Jesse deliberately makes the City of Love the last stop of his book tour, Céline recognizes herself and that very night in the pages.
Before Midnight differs from the first two chapters. Instead of wandering through the streets – a lazy vacation, instead of getting to know the partner through conversation – reproaches for all sorts of misfortunes, instead of romance – a crisis in the marriage.
The Before Trilogy Is Based on the Personal Experiences of Its Creators
The starting point for Linklater's idea was his own story and the story of screenwriter Kim Krizan: the director once walked around Philadelphia with a woman named Amy, and Krizan met a man on her way to Paris.
The events of the three movies cover almost twenty years of Jesse and Céline's relationship. And if you are unfamiliar with the couple, their story may seem like a typical shugary sweet romance.
Richard Linklater's Trilogy Is Not Your Typical Romantic Story
However, Linklater's films are quite the opposite. Before Sunrise, Before Sunset and Before Midnight are a mature look at relationships without melodramatic clichés, an attempt to understand the nature of love at different stages, and an auteur road movie about the path to your partner's heart.
The second part of Richard Linklater's trilogy can be considered one of the best sequels in the history of cinema. A true masterpiece of conversational cinema that has the amazing ability to warm you up and make you believe in your kindred spirit.
Before Sunset Is No Longer in the Netflix Library
Before Sunset left Netflix on January 1, but you can still rent or buy the entire trilogy on Apple TV.