Ember's analysis
- Pacing
- Slow
- Intensity
- Strong
- Complexity
- Easy to follow
- Violence
- Mild
- somber
- tense
- emotionally claustrophobic
- serious movie night
- crime drama marathon
What critics said
Critics broadly regarded the film as a slow, muddled family crime drama whose strong central cast could not overcome its contrived and frustrating storytelling.
What sets it apart
May contain story progression spoilers
Ben Ryan destroys possible evidence to shield Jacob, drawing the entire family deeper into the crisis.
The village community turns hostile while Jacob is accused and the family becomes socially isolated.
Jacob’s arrest and court proceedings expose conflicting loyalties and lies among the Ryans.
The well-respected Ryan family’s orderly public identity fractures under the pressure of the murder accusation.
Films like Before and After, and why
The Deep End
family crisis, murder suspicion, and morally compromised parental protection within a serious crime drama
The Accused
teenage criminal accusation, community suspicion, and emotionally fraught courtroom consequences
A Simple Plan
domestic turmoil and concealed truths colliding with a criminal investigation
Movie Details
- Director
- Barbet Schroeder
- Release Date
- 1996-02-23
- Runtime
- 108 min
- Rating
- 5.9 / 10 (220)
Cast
- Meryl Streep
- Liam Neeson
- Edward Furlong
- Julia Weldon
- Alfred Molina
- Daniel von Bargen
- John Heard
- Ann Magnuson
- Alison Folland
- Kaiulani Lee
Where to watch in United States
- Rent
- Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home
- Buy
- Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home
Streaming options come from TMDB and change over time.
Common questions
- What is Before and After about?
- A respected New England family fractures when a teenage murder accusation forces love, loyalty, and truth into direct conflict.
- What is Before and After like to watch?
- Ember's analysis rates the pacing of Before and After as slow, its intensity as strong and its storytelling as easy to follow.
- Is Before and After violent?
- Only mildly. Ember rates the violence in Before and After as mild.
- What did critics think of Before and After?
- Critics broadly regarded the film as a slow, muddled family crime drama whose strong central cast could not overcome its contrived and frustrating storytelling.
- Which films are like Before and After?
- Films with a similar feel include The Deep End, The Accused, and A Simple Plan.
- How long is Before and After?
- Before and After runs 108 minutes.
- Where can I watch Before and After?
- In United States, Before and After is available to rent or buy from Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home.
