In addition to starring, Hawke and Delpy also co-wrote Linklater’s sequels “Before Sunset” and “Before Midnight,” which came out in 2004 and 2013. The films catch up with Jesse and Céline in real-time, with “Sunset” revealing what ultimately became of the pair in the intervening years since “Sunrise” and “Midnight” showing what their lives are like in their 40s. It’s clear that Hawke and Delpy’s script contributions to these films were substantial, presumably allowing them to sort through the emotional baggage they had accumulated in their own lives using the fictional ones of their onscreen counterparts.

Your perspective on each film can vary greatly depending on how many miles you’ve got under your belt. People the same age as Jesse and Céline in “Sunrise” might find them entrancing, while those who are older and/or more experienced may be irritated by their naïveté (or perhaps simply wistful of it). If you’ve already dated a real-life Jesse or Céline, you may even find a lot of their conversations to be peppered with red flags. Alternatively, you could find yourself drawn more to the evolved iterations of the characters in “Sunset,” coupled with the film’s depiction of 30-something malaise and its suggestion that reconnection, while unlikely, is not impossible. Or maybe you’ll find yourself most compelled by “Midnight” and its argument that something real, flawed, and possibly unsustainable as it might be, is ultimately more meaningful than something imagined.

There’s wisdom and insight to be garnered from all three of these movies, however, regardless of what stage of life you’re at or what you’ve gone through (or are currently going through). So, should you find yourself falling in love with “Before Sunrise” after your first viewing or even on a revisit, don’t hesitate to find out what comes after.