Before (2024)

Created by creator and writer Sarah Thorp, the American psychological thriller supernatural horror television series Before premiered its ten-episode season on Apple TV+ on October 25, 2024. Executive produced by Eric Roth, pilot director Adam Bernstein, and lead star Billy Crystal, the limited series stars Billy Crystal as child psychiatrist Dr. Eli Adler alongside Jacobi Jupe as Noah, Judith Light as Lynn, Rosie Perez as Denise, Maria Dizzia as Barbara, and Ava Lalezarzadeh as Cleo. The series generated intrigue for casting comedy icon Billy Crystal playing against type in a dark psychological thriller role, earning attention for its eerie atmospheric tone, unsettling supernatural mystery, and intense performances by Billy Crystal and young actor Jacobi Jupe. WHERE TO WATCH & STREAMING AVAILABILITY Before is available for subscription streaming globally exclusively on Apple TV+, presented in high definition and 4K Ultra HD resolution with spatial audio, original English audio, closed captioning, and multi-language subbed and dubbed options. Digital video-on-demand purchase options for full season episodes across major digital storefronts like Apple TV, alongside streaming accessibility on supported smart TV apps and mobile platforms, are managed directly by Apple. INTRIGUING FACTS & TRIVIA The psychological horror series marks actor Billy Crystal's first dramatic leading role in a television series in decades, taking on a dark narrative focused on grief, trauma, and psychological degradation. Child actor Jacobi Jupe, who plays the troubled boy Noah, is the younger brother of British actor Noah Jupe, known for his roles in A Quiet Place and Honey Boy. The production incorporated advanced de-aging visual effects technology developed by artificial intelligence studio Deep Voodoo to render key flashback sequences involving Eli's past. BACKSTORY & THEMATIC ANALYSIS The narrative follows Dr. Eli Adler (Billy Crystal), a grieving child psychiatrist who is struggling to cope following the recent, traumatic suicide of his beloved wife Lynn (Judith Light). While attempting to pick up the pieces of his shattered life, Eli encounters a deeply disturbed young boy named Noah (Jacobi Jupe) who exhibits violent outbursts, eerie behavioral tics, and detailed knowledge about Eli's private home and personal history that a stranger could not possibly know. As Eli attempts to treat Noah, he discovers horrifying drawings and bizarre symbols created by the boy that match long-buried memories and architectural details connected to Eli's own childhood and late wife. As the therapeutic bond between them deepens into a terrifying obsession, Eli begins experiencing vivid hallucinations and physical manifestations, forcing him to question whether Noah is suffering from severe psychological trauma or acting as a conduit for a terrifying supernatural entity linking their pasts. Thematically, Before explores grief, repressed guilt, unresolved trauma, memory, and the haunting nature of loss. By blurring the boundary between psychological delusion and supernatural reality, the narrative examines how buried secrets and unaddressed guilt can manifest as living nightmares that refuse to remain hidden. BEHIND-THE-SCENES INSIGHTS Director Adam Bernstein and showrunner Sarah Thorp collaborated with cinematographers to create a stark, moody visual aesthetic, using cold lighting, claustrophobic framing, and shadow play to reflect Eli's fracturing mental state. The production team relied on subtle sound design, combining low ambient frequencies, distorted whispering cues, and sudden silence to heighten the sense of psychological dread during therapy sessions. Through its chilling atmospheric tension, dark thematic weight, and compelling dramatic performance from Billy Crystal, Before stands as a memorable psychological thriller entry on Apple TV+. Check out the official BEFORE Official Trailer to preview the psychological thriller starring Billy Crystal. This trailer provides a first look at the eerie supernatural mystery and intense therapeutic relationship central to the series.