The Before Trilogy – 3 Timeless Romance Movies That Capture Real Love
There are love movies, and then there’s The Before Trilogy.
Richard Linklater didn’t just make a romance movie — he made time fall in love.
Three films.
Eighteen years.
One story about what it truly means to find someone — and keep finding them again.
A Romance Movie That Feels Like Real Life
Most romantic films are built on fantasy — grand gestures, sudden kisses in the rain, or someone running through an airport just in time.
But Before Sunrise, Before Sunset, and Before Midnight are different.
They’re not about what love looks like in the movies.
They’re about what love feels like when no one’s watching.
Every conversation between Jesse (Ethan Hawke) and Céline (Julie Delpy) feels so natural it’s almost invasive — like we shouldn’t be listening, but we can’t look away. There’s no background music telling you how to feel, no cinematic trickery. It’s just two people talking, discovering each other word by word.
That’s the beauty of these love movies — they remind us that romance isn’t always fireworks; sometimes it’s quiet, slow, and unpredictable.
Before Sunrise (1995): Falling in Love in Real Time
It starts on a train.
Two strangers. One American, one French. A random seat arrangement that changes everything.
Jesse meets Céline, and they talk. Really talk — about death, about love, about childhood, about everything that matters and nothing that matters.
When he convinces her to get off the train with him in Vienna, the story unfolds like a dream you once had but forgot.
They wander through the city all night, exploring life, ideas, and each other. There’s no action, no plot twist — just connection.
This is where Before Sunrise shines. It’s a romance movie stripped of all clichés, built only on chemistry, curiosity, and conversation.
It captures the feeling of that first night with someone new, when every word feels electric, when you don’t care about tomorrow.
It’s hopeful, fleeting, and impossibly human.
By sunrise, they’ve fallen in love.
And just like that, they promise to meet again in six months — no phone numbers, no addresses, just faith.
It’s the kind of ending that makes you smile and ache at the same time.
Before Sunset (2004): Love, Interrupted
Nine years later, we meet them again — older, smarter, and maybe a little broken.
Jesse is now an author, promoting a book about that one night in Vienna. Céline walks into the bookstore, and suddenly time folds in on itself.
This second film might just be the most bittersweet love movie ever made.
They only have 80 minutes before Jesse’s flight, but every second counts.
As they walk through Paris, we feel the weight of everything unsaid.
They talk about politics, the environment, love, regret — all while pretending not to care. But every glance, every hesitation says otherwise.
The magic of Before Sunset lies in its restraint. There’s no kiss until the very end — and even then, it’s just a smile, a moment, a quiet revolution.
Céline dances to Nina Simone’s Just in Time, Jesse grins, and you realize he’s not going to catch that plane.
It’s perfect.
The film understands something few romance movies do — that sometimes the biggest romantic act is not leaving.
Before Midnight (2013): When Love Gets Complicated
Another nine years pass.
Now, Jesse and Céline are together — partners, parents, and, well… tired.
This is not the fairy tale anymore.
It’s the morning after the happily-ever-after.
In Before Midnight, they’re spending a summer in Greece, trying to balance love, parenthood, and personal dreams. The spark is still there, but life has added shadows.
They argue. They joke. They flirt. They fight.
It’s raw, uncomfortable, and painfully real — maybe the most realistic love movie ever made.
Jesse feels guilty for leaving his son behind in the States. Céline feels trapped, frustrated, unseen. Their long conversation in the hotel room becomes one of the most honest fights ever filmed — the kind that hurts because it’s true.
But even in the anger, there’s love. You can see it in their eyes — they want to find each other again, even when they’re lost.
When Jesse sits next to Céline in the final scene and tries to make her laugh, it feels like the definition of mature love: two people choosing each other despite everything.
It’s not perfect, but it’s real.
The Trilogy That Ages With You
What makes The Before Trilogy so special is that it grows with you.
If you watch Before Sunrise in your 20s, you’ll see adventure and passion.
If you watch Before Sunset in your 30s, you’ll see regret and second chances.
And if you watch Before Midnight in your 40s, you’ll see yourself — the exhaustion, the compromises, the small victories of staying in love.
Few romantic films mirror life this closely. The characters age, and so do we. Each viewing hits differently because our own experiences keep changing the way we interpret love.
That’s why fans often say this trilogy isn’t just a story — it’s a reflection. It’s not about falling in love once, but learning to stay in love over time.
Why The Before Trilogy Is the Best Romance Movie Series Ever Made
There’s a reason critics and audiences keep calling it one of the best romance movie trilogies of all time.
While most love movies end with a kiss, The Before Trilogy begins with one and asks, “What happens after?”
It explores the after that most films are too afraid to show — the part where passion fades, responsibility grows, and communication becomes the bridge between staying or walking away.
The direction is minimalist, but the emotions are enormous. The dialogue feels improvised but is carefully written. The acting is so believable you forget it’s acting at all.
Julie Delpy and Ethan Hawke didn’t just perform — they helped write their characters’ lives, bringing pieces of themselves into Jesse and Céline.
That’s why their connection feels so real — it’s lived, not scripted.
And the cities — Vienna, Paris, Greece — are more than just settings. They’re silent witnesses to love’s evolution. Vienna is young love. Paris is rekindled love. Greece is tested love.
It’s no exaggeration to say this trilogy changed how romance movies are made.
The Realism That Hurts (and Heals)
In an era of Instagram-perfect relationships, The Before Trilogy feels almost rebellious.
It’s a reminder that real love isn’t glossy. It’s tiring, it’s confusing, it’s work.
But it’s also worth it.
These films never preach. They just show. They let us sit in the quiet spaces between words — where love actually lives.
And maybe that’s why they resonate so deeply. We’ve all been there — staying up all night talking to someone, missing a train, wondering if love can survive distance, time, or change.
These aren’t movie moments; they’re human ones.
The Timelessness of an Imperfect Love
Even a decade after Before Midnight, people are still asking if Jesse and Céline are together.
That question is what keeps the trilogy alive — because real love stories rarely end neatly.
Linklater, Delpy, and Hawke created something timeless by refusing to make it tidy. Every conversation feels unfinished, every scene feels like a page torn out of real life.
And maybe that’s why these films endure.
Because love — true love — doesn’t wrap up with credits. It just continues, quietly, imperfectly.
If they ever make another sequel, fans joke it could be called Before Tomorrow or After.
But honestly, maybe it’s perfect that it ends where it does — with a smile, a sigh, and a sense that life will go on, one conversation at a time.
Final Thoughts
If you’re searching for a romantic film that feels real, watch The Before Trilogy.
If you want a love movie that doesn’t lie to you, this is it.
It’s not about finding the perfect person — it’s about finding someone you can keep talking to, even after 18 years.
Before Sunrise makes you believe in destiny.
Before Sunset makes you believe in timing.
Before Midnight makes you believe in effort.
And together, they make you believe that love — real love — evolves.
For anyone who loves romantic movies that stay with you long after the credits roll, The Before Trilogy is more than cinema — it’s life in three acts.
If you enjoy stories that explore love in all its real and imperfect forms, visit our Love & Romance category for more movies that stay with you long after the credits roll.
You can explore all three films from the Before Trilogy on IMDb.
