20 Underrated Movies You Have To See
2. The Before Trilogy
The ultimate in "films that don't get enough love", The Before Trilogy is a set of three films detailing the love life of a couple from when they meet in Europe to their years as an official couple. An intimate portrait of the high and lows of a relationship, the whole trilogy was directed by Richard Linklater, who had each installment filmed every nine years, beginning in 1995 and ending in 2013.
The first film, Before Sunrise, takes place over one night in Vienna, where American traveller Jesse (Ethan Hawke) is vacationing. On his last day, he meets French woman Celine (Julie Delpy) and they decided to spend Jesse's last night in Austria with each other. Over the night, they fall in love, but part and agree to meet up in the future.
The second film, Before Sunset, sees the two meet by chance - or fate - after Jesse publishes a book with a plot based on their night together all those years ago. Eventually realising their feelings for one another, the third installment, Before Midnight, takes a look at their time together as an official couple.
All told, it is a great achievement in filmmaking, following these two brilliantly drawn characters as they deal with young love, career pitfalls, brief arguments and the idea of everything in life being fated. Each film is intelligent, mature, thoughtful, and filmed to include some stunning backdrops. Watching all three is an experience everyone should have in their lives.