The lost art of being present
In 2026, the idea of getting off a train in a foreign city with a total stranger—without Googling them first or checking their Instagram—feels like a survival horror premise. But in Before Sunrise, it’s the ultimate romantic flex. This movie is a time capsule of a world where you couldn’t hide behind a screen. If there was a lull in the conversation, you just had to sit in the awkwardness until someone found something new to say.
For a teen today, watching Ethan Hawke and Julie Delpy wander through Vienna might actually feel like a fantasy or sci-fi flick. There are no notifications, no "let me show you this TikTok," and no GPS. They are just two people existing in the same physical space. If you’re looking for a way to show a mature 16-year-old what real, unmediated connection looks like, this is the gold standard. It’s not about "falling in love" in the Disney sense; it’s about the high of finding someone who actually gets your brain.
The Linklater vibe check
Richard Linklater is the king of "nothing happens, but everything changes." If your kid grew up on School of Rock, they might think they know his style, but Before Sunrise is a different beast entirely. It belongs to a genre often called "walk and talk," and it lives or dies on the chemistry of the leads.
Fortunately, the chemistry here is electric. It’s not just the big philosophical debates about reincarnation or the afterlife; it’s the small, quiet moments. There’s a scene in a listening booth at a record store where they both try not to look at each other that is more tense than any action sequence in a summer blockbuster. Critics have called it "thought-provoking and beautifully filmed," but for a teen audience, the hook is the vulnerability. It captures that specific late-teens/early-twenties feeling that you are the first person in history to ever have these deep thoughts.
Is your teen the right audience?
Let’s be honest: this movie is a litmus test. If your teen needs a plot to stay engaged, they will be bored to tears by the 20-minute mark. There are no villains, no ticking clocks (other than the sunrise), and no third-act misunderstandings. It’s just two people talking.
However, if your kid is the type who stays up late talking to friends about "deep" stuff, or if they’re starting to get into indie cinema, this is their gateway drug. It’s a great way to introduce the Before Trilogy and see if they have the patience for slow cinema. Just be aware that Linklater’s filmography is a bit of a minefield for parents. While this film is a masterpiece of dialogue, many of his other acclaimed works are definitely not for the younger crowd. You can check out The Linklater Problem to see why his best films usually require a high school ID.
Why the 100% score matters
It’s rare to see a 100% on Rotten Tomatoes, especially for a romance from thirty years ago. The reason it holds up is that it doesn’t pander. It doesn't treat young love as a joke or a fleeting crush. It treats the intellectual and emotional lives of young people with total respect.
The dialogue is "stunning," as fans on Reddit often point out, because it feels like a real conversation—messy, pretentious, funny, and occasionally circular. It’s a movie that rewards people who pay attention to the subtext. If you watch it with your teen, don't feel the need to explain the "point" of the movie. The point is the conversation itself. If they "get" it, you’ll know by the time the credits roll and they’re still sitting there, thinking about what happens next.
