Overview
A summer in Greece leads to a pivotal moment for a couple grappling with their choices and future.
Ember's analysis
- Pacing
- Measured
- Intensity
- Strong
- Complexity
- Layered
- Violence
- None
- witty
- intimate
- naturalistic
- quiet evening
- date night
What critics said
Critics broadly praised the film as an intelligent, intimate, witty, and powerfully acted continuation of the Before trilogy, with exceptional writing and emotional realism.
What sets it apart
May contain story progression spoilers
Jesse and Céline are portrayed as an established couple whose history, marriage, and accumulated frustrations shape every conversation.
The film develops through long exchanges among Jesse, Céline, their friends, and family, with conversation carrying both plot and emotional revelation.
Jesse's concerns about his son and Céline's resistance to his life decisions place their marriage under sustained conversational pressure.
The Greek summer vacation, hotel room, and farewell journey create enclosed or transitional spaces for the couple's most revealing encounters.
Films like Before Midnight, and why
Before Sunset
intimate romantic drama centered on candid conversation, emotional history, and the evolving pressures of commitment
Before Sunrise
naturalistic romance built from witty, extended dialogue and the tension between intimacy and life choices
Scenes from a Marriage
relationship-focused drama with psychologically perceptive conversations, marital conflict, and emotionally complex performances
Certified Copy
talkative, humane romantic drama exploring long-term partnership, disappointment, and fragile emotional connection
Movie Details
- Director
- Richard Linklater
- Release Date
- 2013-04-05
- Runtime
- 109 min
- Rating
- 7.5 / 10 (2803)
Cast
- Ethan Hawke
- Julie Delpy
- Seamus Davey-Fitzpatrick
- Jennifer Prior
- Charlotte Prior
- Xenia Kalogeropoulou
- Walter Lassally
- Ariane Labed
- Yiannis Papadopoulos
- Athina Rachel Tsangari
Where to watch in United States
- Streaming
- Howdy Amazon Channel
- Rent
- Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home, Spectrum On Demand
- 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 Midnight about?
- A long-married couple’s Greek vacation becomes an intimate, witty reckoning with parenthood, sacrifice, and whether love can withstand accumulated resentment.
- What is Before Midnight like to watch?
- Ember's analysis rates the pacing of Before Midnight as measured, its intensity as strong and its storytelling as layered.
- Is Before Midnight violent?
- No — Ember's analysis finds no violence in Before Midnight.
- What did critics think of Before Midnight?
- Critics broadly praised the film as an intelligent, intimate, witty, and powerfully acted continuation of the Before trilogy, with exceptional writing and emotional realism.
- Which films are like Before Midnight?
- Films with a similar feel include Before Sunset, Before Sunrise, Scenes from a Marriage, and Certified Copy.
- How long is Before Midnight?
- Before Midnight runs 109 minutes.
- Where can I watch Before Midnight?
- In United States, Before Midnight streams on Howdy Amazon Channel.
