When watching a Richard Linklater movie, three things come to mind: character, dialogue and experimentation Linklater is known for creating memorable characters, emphasizing character development more than plot That's how you get David Wooderson in "dazed and confused" or Bernie Tiede in "Bernie"In Linklater dialogue, every word makes sense for the letter I feel that nothing is scripted The best example is the "Before" trilogy, which features Linklater's most naturalistic and conversational script 

Next is the Linklater experiment Linklater did not take risks or shy away from making movies without a major studio behind him "Boyhood" was filmed in the same cast for more than 10 years "Waking Life" used rotoscoping animation technology The latest film, "Hitman," starring Glenn Powell, was written in specifications without a distributor 

After a strong festival run, Netflix won the rights to "Hitman", which will be streamed on 6/7 It's too early to decide where the "hitman" will fall on the director's resume However, we ranked the 7 best films of Linklater below

Breakthrough is a word that is often attributed to something less innovative In "Boyhood," it's the perfect word to describe Linklater's adulthood drama Filmed for more than 12 years, "Boyhood" follows the life of Mason (Eller Coltrane) from the age of 6 to 18 The film captures several influential moments in Mason's life, from birthdays and baseball games to his first girlfriend and camping trip

"Boyhood" also shows a faithful portrayal of the divorce between Mason's parents, Oliver (Patricia Arquette) and Mason Sr (Ethan Hawke), and their influence on their children, whose core "boyhood" is a soft portrayal of growing up in a film rooted in realism and authenticity 

Watch on Pluto TV or Roku channel

"Before Midnight" is the bravest film Linklater has ever directed 9 years ago, Linklater gave Jesse (Ethan Hawke) and Celine (Julie Delpy) a closure "before sunset"The duo reunited in Paris and reignited their relationship "Before Sunset" is an uplifting love story, while "Before Midnight" is a gut punch that explores relationships on the rocks 

Jesse and Celine are on holiday in Greece with twin girls Jesse's estranged son lives in America, but he tries to maintain their relationship The couple's friends pay for a hotel room, so they can spend a romantic evening together Shortly after Jesse and Celine arrived at the hotel, when the couple engaged in one of the most visceral discussions about love and commitment depicted on screen, "Before Midnight" was a bold risk that cemented Linklater as one of Hollywood's boldest filmmakers, 1 

Watch on Roku Channel

Linklater mainly works within the confines of independent filmmaking But Linklater has previously played the ball in major studios, and his most successful outing was Paramount's "School of Rock" Dewey Finn (Jack Black) wants to be a rock star But when he is kicked out of the band, his dreams recede Dewey, in need of a job, poses as a substitute music teacher at a private elementary school Witnessing the musical talent of the class, Dewey begins a new class project: creating a rock band

Dewey teaches children about the history of rock and roll in the morning and practices singing in the afternoon Dewey plans to compete in the band's local fight with his new student group Black's charisma as Dewey goes through the roof in a role perfectly suited to his talent The music is memorable, Mike White's screenplay is legitimately entertaining, and kids have proven that 1 rock show can change the world

watch on Paramount Plus or Pluto TV

The best example of Linklater's ability to use dialogue to move the plot is the "Before" trilogy It's a good idea The first film, Before Sunrise, featured Jesse (Ethan Hawke), a young American tourist, and Celine (Julie Delpy), a university student in Paris The two meet by train from Budapest and have chemistry in an instant Jesse convinces Celine to get off the train in Vienna and spend the day together before his flight the next morning 

One night, Jesse and Celine walked through the streets of Vienna and talked about love, sex and the meaning of life From a magical kiss on the ferris wheel to a fake phone call in a cafe, "Before Sunrise" is a beautiful reflection about young love with 2 dynamic performances of Hawk and Delpy

Rent/buy on Amazon or Apple

After exploring a "dazed and confused" high school in the 1970s, "Everyone wants some" It's the beginning of the new semester, and freshman Jake Bradford (Blake Jenner) arrives at his off-campus home and the next three days of the rest of his baseball teammates, Jake gets a crash course for college life that consists of beer, girls and baseball 

As the spiritual sequel to "Dazed And Confused," "Everyone wants some""Hangout is an instant classic for movies It is also a great reflection about self-discovery, using college as a means for children to find themselves and discover who they are The music is spectacular, from Van Halen and knack to cheap tricks and cars The film has been out for 8 years, but it still feels like it's been criminally overlooked More importantly, "Everyone wants some""I introduced the world to Glenn Powell, whose charm and the power of the stars are undeniable 

Watch on Paramount Plus or Prime Video

If you've ever wondered if Jesse (Ethan Hawke) met Celine (Julie Delpy) in Vienna six months later, you get your answer in "Before sunset"Set 9 years after "Before Sunset", the film reunites Jess and Celine in Paris Jesse is now the bestselling author who wrote about a magical night with Celine in Vienna Celine meets Jesse at the bookstore after reading Just hours before his flight, Jesse and Celine wandered aimlessly through the streets of Paris, having a conversation about their personal and professional lives 

The secret to the success of Before Sunset is that Linklater invites Hawk and Delpy to write the script They know the characters inside and outside, because the chemistry between Hawk and Delpy is even better in this film than the first one It elegantly captures the meaning of falling in love Good luck topping this ending

Rent/buy on Amazon or Apple

The biggest hangout movie ever is "dazed and confused"The adult story follows the lives of rising high school seniors and freshmen who navigate the last days of school in 1976 Linklater is a jock with a brain (Jason London), a nervous freshman (Wiley Wiggins), a Stoner (Rory Cochrane), a bully (Bem Affleck), an evil Queen (Parker Posey), a nerd (Anthony Rapp, Adam Goldberg, Marissa Libby), and many more This is the first time I've ever seen a woman in my life, and I've never seen a woman in my life 

Then there was Wooderson (Matthew McConaughey), who taught us to just stay alive and say, "Okay, okay, okay""It's fun to watch 10-year-olds listen to great music, drink beer and get high," he said But the genius of "daze and confusion" is how it captures the nostalgic feeling of the 10th generation Adulthood comes for all of us, but not before the last party at the Moon Tower There is absolutely no note for this film, Mr Linklater  

Rent/buy on Amazon or Apple