Did 'Before Midnight' Secretly Ruin Cinema's Greatest Romance?

In 1995, Richard Linklater gave moviegoers pure lightning in a bottle with Before Sunrise. Nine years later, Before Sunset delivered one of the most perfect, hopeful romantic endings in film history as Jesse famously missed his flight from Paris. But then came 2013's Before Midnight, throwing a bucket of ice water directly onto cinema's favorite fairy tale.

Instead of a cozy victory lap, Midnight dropped audiences into the grinding, bitter reality of a long-term marriage. The magic of youth gives way to domestic exhaustion, career jealousy, and a explosive hotel room argument where Celine cuts straight to the bone. For many viewers, watching the iconic duo dismantle each other was nothing short of traumatic.

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"The first movie is about what could be, the second is about what should have been, and Before Midnight is about what it is," actor Ethan Hawke famously observed. That unflinching honesty has split film fans down the middle for over a decade.

Supporters view the third entry as a brave masterpiece. One commenter noted that Linklater's decision to wait nine real-life years between installments allowed the characters to age alongside the cast, creating a rare level of emotional realism. Another fan argued that despite the brutal fight, the film ends on a deeply heartwarming note because Jesse and Celine actively choose to re-commit to one another despite their flaws.

On the other side of the aisle, critics feel the shift in tone was far too jarring. A viewer argued that the extreme toxicity on display felt completely disconnected from who Jesse and Celine were in the first two films, calling Sunrise too idealistic, Midnight too bitter, and Sunset the only balanced chapter of the trio.

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This debate over character consistency bleeds directly into another major storytelling grievance currently tearing through film circles: the problem of the bland protagonist. When side characters constantly outshine the lead, critics argue that the storyteller simply picked the wrong main character.

While some defend passive protagonists as necessary 'audience surrogates' designed to showcase eccentric sidekicks, others insist that an uninteresting lead drains the tension out of a narrative. A protagonist cannot merely act as an empty camera; their specific desires and flaws must drive the plot forward.

On the latest episode of Plot Hole, the hosts hash out whether Before Midnight represents the ultimate romantic truth or an act of cinematic vandalism.