Sony Pictures Classic has released some new images from director Richard Linklater’s follow-up to Before Sunrise and Before Sunset, the sequel Before Midnight.  The film picks up nine years after the events of Before Sunset as we once again catch up with Ethan Hawke’s Jessie and Julie Delpy’s Celine, but to say anything more would be to ruin the experience of the film.  These new images, in fact, could conceivably be considered spoilers.  I caught the film at Sundance (read Matt’s review here) and thought it was a brilliant addition to the series.  It’s emotional, funny, bare, and revealing, and once again Hawke and Delpy shine in roles that both speak to and about the audience.  You’d be hard pressed to find a trilogy better than this one, and Before Midnight might even be the best film of the bunch.

Hit the jump to check out the images, if you wish to do so, and click here to watch the trailer.  Be aware that the photos do spoil a few of the film’s surprises, but I doubt that it would affect the film’s overall quality.  Before Midnight opens in limited release on May 24th.

Here’s the official synopsis for Before Midnight:

In BEFORE MIDNIGHT, we meet Celine and Jesse 9 years on. Almost 2 decades have passed since that first meeting on a train bound for Vienna, and we now find them in their early 40's in Greece. Before the clock strikes midnight, we will again become part of their story.

Click for high-resolution.