Richard Linklater has directed 25 films from 1988 to 2025, and on October 12, 2026, 17 of them were streaming with a US subscription, 11 were free with ads somewhere, and 17 could be rented or bought digitally. The table below lists every one, from It’s Impossible to Learn to Plow by Reading Books to Nouvelle Vague, with the services carrying it on that date.
Streaming catalogs change monthly, so each title links to its JustWatch page, which tracks US availability daily. All figures here come from one check run on October 12, 2026.
Where to stream Richard Linklater movies: the full list
The list follows the directing credits on Linklater’s Rotten Tomatoes filmography: 24 features and one feature-length documentary, Inning by Inning: Portrait of a Coach. A 21-minute short, a trailer entry and his TV work are left out. Years are the ones Rotten Tomatoes gives, which sometimes differ by a year from JustWatch. Live-TV bundles and disc sellers are excluded; “Rent or buy” lists the main digital stores.
| Movie | Year | Starring | Stream with a subscription | Free with ads | Rent or buy |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| It’s Impossible to Learn to Plow by Reading Books | 1988 | Richard Linklater, Daniel Johnston | Criterion Channel | — | — |
| Slacker | 1991 | Richard Linklater, Rudy Basquez | HBO Max | — | — |
| Dazed and Confused | 1993 | Jason London, Matthew McConaughey | — | — | Prime Video Store, Apple TV, Fandango at Home |
| Before Sunrise | 1995 | Ethan Hawke, Julie Delpy | — | Tubi, The Roku Channel | Prime Video Store, Apple TV, Fandango at Home |
| SubUrbia | 1996 | Giovanni Ribisi, Steve Zahn | Howdy | — | Prime Video Store, Apple TV, Fandango at Home |
| The Newton Boys | 1998 | Matthew McConaughey, Skeet Ulrich | Prime Video | — | Prime Video Store, Apple TV, Fandango at Home |
| Waking Life | 2001 | Ethan Hawke, Julie Delpy | — | — | Prime Video Store, Apple TV, Fandango at Home |
| Tape | 2001 | Ethan Hawke, Robert Sean Leonard | AMC+, Sundance Now | Tubi | — |
| School of Rock | 2003 | Jack Black, Joan Cusack | Paramount+, MGM+, Starz | YouTube (free with ads) | Prime Video Store, Apple TV, Fandango at Home |
| Before Sunset | 2004 | Ethan Hawke, Julie Delpy | — | Tubi, The Roku Channel | Prime Video Store, Apple TV, Fandango at Home |
| Bad News Bears | 2005 | Billy Bob Thornton, Greg Kinnear | Paramount+, MGM+ | YouTube (free with ads) | Prime Video Store, Apple TV, Fandango at Home |
| A Scanner Darkly | 2006 | Keanu Reeves, Robert Downey Jr. | — | Kanopy, YouTube (free with ads) | Prime Video Store, Apple TV, Fandango at Home |
| Fast Food Nation | 2006 | Greg Kinnear, Bobby Cannavale | — | — | Prime Video Store, Apple TV, Fandango at Home |
| Inning by Inning: Portrait of a Coach (documentary) | 2008 | Augie Garrido, Cathy Clark | — | — | — |
| Me and Orson Welles | 2008 | Zac Efron, Christian McKay | — | — | Fandango at Home |
| Bernie | 2011 | Jack Black, Shirley MacLaine | Prime Video, MUBI | Prime Video (free with ads), Kanopy, Hoopla, YouTube (free with ads), The CW | Prime Video Store, Apple TV, Fandango at Home |
| Before Midnight | 2013 | Ethan Hawke, Julie Delpy | Howdy | — | Prime Video Store, Apple TV, Fandango at Home |
| Boyhood | 2014 | Ellar Coltrane, Patricia Arquette | Netflix, AMC+, Sundance Now | Tubi, Pluto TV, The Roku Channel, Kanopy, Plex | Prime Video Store, Apple TV, Fandango at Home |
| Everybody Wants Some!! | 2016 | Blake Jenner, Ryan Guzman | Paramount+, MGM+ | Kanopy, Hoopla, YouTube (free with ads) | Prime Video Store, Apple TV, Fandango at Home |
| Last Flag Flying | 2017 | Steve Carell, Bryan Cranston | Prime Video | Prime Video (free with ads) | — |
| Where’d You Go, Bernadette | 2019 | Cate Blanchett, Billy Crudup | Prime Video, Howdy, Lionsgate+ | The Roku Channel, Prime Video (free with ads), Kanopy | Apple TV, Fandango at Home |
| Apollo 10 1/2: A Space Age Childhood | 2022 | Milo Coy, Jack Black | Netflix | — | — |
| Hit Man | 2023 | Glen Powell, Adria Arjona | Netflix | — | — |
| Blue Moon | 2025 | Ethan Hawke, Bobby Cannavale | Netflix | — | Prime Video Store, Apple TV, Fandango at Home |
| Nouvelle Vague | 2025 | Guillaume Marbeck, Zoey Deutch | Netflix | — | — |
Where to watch the Before trilogy
The three Before films were split up on October 12, 2026. Before Sunrise (1995) has no subscription home, but streams free with ads on The Roku Channel and Tubi. Before Sunset (2004) has no subscription home, but streams free with ads on The Roku Channel and Tubi. Before Midnight (2013) streams with a subscription on Howdy. That makes Before Sunrise and Before Sunset free to watch with ads, while Before Midnight needs a subscription or a rental. Ethan Hawke and Julie Delpy are both among the top-billed cast JustWatch lists for four films: the Before trilogy plus Waking Life.
The Netflix years
Every film he has released since 2022, Apollo 10 1/2: A Space Age Childhood, Hit Man, Blue Moon and Nouvelle Vague, was on Netflix on October 12, 2026, as was Boyhood. JustWatch lists Nouvelle Vague under its English title, New Wave, and Rotten Tomatoes names Netflix as its distributor. Blue Moon is different: Rotten Tomatoes lists Sony Pictures Classics as its distributor and an October 24, 2025, theatrical release, and on the check date it could also be rented or bought digitally. JustWatch lists no digital rental or purchase for Apollo 10 1/2: A Space Age Childhood, Hit Man and Nouvelle Vague, so a Netflix subscription is the only way to stream them.
Neither of his first two features could be rented or bought digitally on the check date; JustWatch lists no store for either. On October 12, 2026, It’s Impossible to Learn to Plow by Reading Books (1988) streams with a subscription on Criterion Channel. Slacker (1991) streams with a subscription on HBO Max. Rotten Tomatoes credits Linklater as an actor in both; on It’s Impossible to Learn to Plow by Reading Books it also credits him as cinematographer and editor.
Familiar faces
Among the top-billed cast JustWatch lists, a few names recur: Ethan Hawke for eight (Before Sunrise, The Newton Boys, Waking Life, Tape, Before Sunset, Before Midnight, Boyhood and Blue Moon), Matthew McConaughey for three (Dazed and Confused, The Newton Boys and Bernie) and Jack Black for three (School of Rock, Bernie and Apollo 10 1/2: A Space Age Childhood).
Which service has the most Linklater films?
By our count on October 12, 2026, Netflix carries five of the 25 films he has directed; Prime Video has four.
| Subscription service | Richard Linklater films included |
|---|---|
| Netflix | 5 of 25 |
| Prime Video | 4 of 25 |
| Howdy | 3 of 25 |
| MGM+ | 3 of 25 |
| Paramount+ | 3 of 25 |
| AMC+ | 2 of 25 |
| Sundance Now | 2 of 25 |
| Criterion Channel | 1 of 25 |
Linklater movies you can watch free
These 11 films could be streamed free with ads on October 12, 2026, and for Before Sunrise, Before Sunset and A Scanner Darkly free was the only way to stream without paying to rent. Kanopy and Hoopla need a card from a participating library; the other apps need at most a free sign-up.
- Before Sunrise (1995): Tubi, The Roku Channel
- Tape (2001): Tubi
- School of Rock (2003): YouTube (free with ads)
- Before Sunset (2004): Tubi, The Roku Channel
- Bad News Bears (2005): YouTube (free with ads)
- A Scanner Darkly (2006): Kanopy, YouTube (free with ads)
- Bernie (2011): Prime Video (free with ads), Kanopy, Hoopla, YouTube (free with ads), The CW
- Boyhood (2014): Tubi, Pluto TV, The Roku Channel, Kanopy, Plex
- Everybody Wants Some!! (2016): Kanopy, Hoopla, YouTube (free with ads)
- Last Flag Flying (2017): Prime Video (free with ads)
- Where’d You Go, Bernadette (2019): The Roku Channel, Prime Video (free with ads), Kanopy
Rent-only and missing titles
Dazed and Confused, Waking Life, Fast Food Nation and Me and Orson Welles had no subscription or free home on October 12, 2026, so renting or buying digitally was the only way to stream them. JustWatch has a page for the documentary Inning by Inning: Portrait of a Coach, and lists Augie Garrido first in its cast, but no US offers of any kind.
Our look at the French New Wave films that made breaking the rules part of the appeal is useful background for Nouvelle Vague. For more, see our coming-of-age movie FAQ and indie film FAQ.
Frequently Asked Questions
Where can I watch the Before trilogy?
As of October 12, 2026: Before Sunrise has no subscription home, but streams free with ads on The Roku Channel and Tubi. Before Sunset has no subscription home, but streams free with ads on The Roku Channel and Tubi. Before Midnight streams with a subscription on Howdy.
Where is Boyhood streaming?
As of October 12, 2026, Boyhood streams with a subscription on AMC+, Netflix and Sundance Now, and free with ads on Kanopy, Plex, Pluto TV, The Roku Channel and Tubi. It can also be rented or bought from the main digital stores.
Can I stream Dazed and Confused?
As of October 12, 2026, Dazed and Confused is not on any subscription or free service; you can rent or buy it digitally.
Where can I watch School of Rock?
As of October 12, 2026, School of Rock streams with a subscription on MGM+, Paramount+ and Starz, and free with ads on YouTube. It can also be rented or bought from the main digital stores.
Which streaming service has the most Richard Linklater movies?
By our count on October 12, 2026, Netflix carries five of the 25 films he has directed; Prime Video has four.
Sources
- Richard Linklater filmography — Rotten Tomatoes (directing and acting credits), accessed October 12, 2026
- Nouvelle Vague (2025) — Rotten Tomatoes movie page (distributor), accessed October 12, 2026
- Blue Moon (2025) — Rotten Tomatoes movie page (distributor and release date), accessed October 12, 2026
- JustWatch US streaming guide — title-by-title US availability, cast and runtimes, checked October 12, 2026