Before Sunrise
A young man and woman meet on a train in Europe, and wind up spending one evening together in Vienna. Unfortunately, both know that this will probably be their only night together.
Directed by Richard Linklater · Comedy · Drama · Romance · 101 min · 1995
Trailer
Director
Richard Linklater
Writer
Richard Linklater, Kim Krizan
Studio
Castle Rock Entertainment / Detour Filmproduction / Filmhaus Films
Release
27 Jan 1995
Runtime
101 min
Genres
Comedy, Drama, Romance
Full Plot
American tourist Jesse and French student Celine meet by chance on the train from Budapest to Vienna. Sensing that they are developing a connection, Jesse asks Celine to spend the day with him in Vienna, and she agrees. So they pass the time before his scheduled flight the next morning together. How do two perfect strangers connect so intimately over the course of a single day? What is that special thing that bonds two people so strongly? As their bond turns to love, what will happen to them the next morning when Jesse flies away?
Cast & Characters
Jesse
Ethan Hawke
Céline
Julie Delpy
wife on train
Andrea Eckert
husband on train
Hanno Pöschl
guy on bridge
Karl Bruckschwaiger
guy on bridge
Tex Rubinowitz
palm reader
Erni Mangold
street poet
Dominik Castell
bartender
Haymon Maria Buttinger
belly dancer
Bilge Jeschim
Assistant Professor
Sanya Sirohi
Did You Know?
Made on an estimated budget of $2.5M, Before Sunrise has grossed $6.0M worldwide — about 2.4x its budget.
Source: TMDb API · verified 2026-08-02
Before Sunrise is part of TMDb's "Before... Collection."
Source: TMDb API · verified 2026-08-02
Ethan Hawke appears in 3 films in our catalog, including Dead Poets Society, Before Sunset.
Source: theIReview.com catalog · verified 2026-08-02
Did You Know that the film was inspired by a woman named Amy Lehrhaupt, whom writer/director Richard Linklater met in a toy shop in Philadelphia.
Source: Wikipedia · verified 2026-08-13
The two main characters were intentionally left vague in the original screenplay to allow for more improvisation and natural dialogue.
Source: Wikipedia · verified 2026-08-13
Richard Linklater chose Kim Krizan as his female co-writer because she had a unique mind that he admired, with a constant stream of confident ideas.
Source: Wikipedia · verified 2026-08-13
Linklater wanted to explore the "relationship side of life" by casting two anonymous characters in a foreign country to discover who they really were.
Source: Wikipedia · verified 2026-08-13
Critical Assessment
Before Sunrise holds 8.1/10 on IMDb (373,558 votes), 100% on Rotten Tomatoes, 79/100 on Metacritic.
Not enough independent critic/audience score breakdown available.
Ratings as of August 11, 2026
Where to Watch
United States
United Kingdom
India
Streaming data from JustWatch via TMDb. Availability changes often — confirm on the provider before watching.
AI Verdict
AI-generatedBased on aggregated scores (8.1/10 on IMDb (373,558 votes), 100% on Rotten Tomatoes, 79/100 on Metacritic), this is a data-driven snapshot rather than an editorial take.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Before Sunrise's Rotten Tomatoes score?+
Before Sunrise holds a 100% critics' score on Rotten Tomatoes.
What is Before Sunrise's IMDb rating?+
Before Sunrise has a 8.1/10 rating on IMDb from 373,558 votes.
What is Before Sunrise's Metacritic score?+
Before Sunrise has a Metascore of 79/100 on Metacritic.
Is Before Sunrise good? What are critics saying?+
Before Sunrise holds 8.1/10 on IMDb (373,558 votes), 100% on Rotten Tomatoes, 79/100 on Metacritic.
How long is Before Sunrise?+
Before Sunrise has a runtime of 101 min.
Who directed Before Sunrise?+
Before Sunrise was directed by Richard Linklater.
Where can I watch Before Sunrise?+
Before Sunrise is available to stream, rent, or buy on Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home, HBO Max Amazon Channel, HBO Max, Rakuten TV, Sky Store.
Fan & Critic Buzz
A simple yet charming film with "good feelings" and "human" conversations, but lacking a "human antagonist". The reviewer's experience is compared to reading a novel, suggesting the movie didn't hold their attention. Some reviewers found it too good to be true, while others praised its timeless charm and perfect on-screen chemistry between Ethan Hawke and Julie Delpy.
Viewer Reviews (TMDb)
Box office $ 5.5 million This was the first time I saw a movie that had nothing close to a human antagonist, yet it kept me glued to the screen. Sure I've read a few novels of the kind but surely they weren't "oh I'm glued" stuff. Everybody at least once in their life dreams of s…
**A very simple but very human film, with very good feelings and dialogue.** Contrary to what I like to do, I saw this film after seeing its sequel, “Before Sundown”. It's a very nice story about an American tourist who is enchanted by a French student he meets on the train on th…
Filipe Manuel Neto · 7/10After about five minutes of this, I was resigned to watching a reimagining of "Brief Encounter" (1945) and started to give up. Then, it began to take an altogether different tack as we meet a young and fairly penniless American "Jesse" (Ethan Hawke) who starts chatting with "Celi…
CinemaSerf · 7/10
From the trailer's comments
It’s amazing how “90s” this trailer is, but how timeless the actual movie is.
@atroyz · 85 likesPeople who loved this series are perfect and worthy of the true immense love❤️
@AdnanAli-ns6oe · 126 likesThis movie is too good that even people didn't know it !
@akagamishanks2774 · 124 likesThe finest movie ever made in the genre of romance ..the conversations and the feelings ❤
@PaulieCineTalks · 17 likeshere in vienna been on the ferris wheel u can feel them here
@danielogorman8020 · 39 likesWonderful. I don't think I've ever seen two actors so comfortable and perfect together as Delpy and Hawke in this perfect film. It was if they had known each other their whole lives. Talk about capturing lightning in a bottle❤
@kevinwhelan9607 · 6 likesjust did another rewatch of the trilogy for the Nth time and never get tired of it ❤️
@pseudosligh · 23 likesThis is my favourite movie!!!♥️
@ashleyvenzon7153 · 12 likes
