The 100+ Best Movies Streaming On The Criterion Channel

Ranker Film
Updated September 1, 2023 1.9K votes 160 voters
Over 100 Ranker voters have come together to rank this list of The 100+ Best Movies Streaming On The Criterion Channel

If you're interested in watching some great films, you've come to the right place, because we're going to recommend the best movies on Criterion Channel. The streaming service is an offshoot of the Criterion Collection, a brand that puts out high-end DVDs and Blu-rays of "important classic and contemporary films." In other words, Criterion is associated with first-rate quality. The company has become so popular that they created this new online channel to further make these motion pictures easily available to the public.

There are well over 1,500 titles available. So how do you choose the most essential Criterion movies to watch? We've selected them based on a variety of factors. Some of the titles on this list are beloved, certified classics, like Akira Kurosawa's Seven Samurai or Federico Fellini's 8 1/2. The beauty of Criterion, though, is that they recognize greatness in all genres. For that reason, you will also find examples in horror, comedy, documentary, and even animation. The final factor was buzz value. Several of the films included are edgy, challenging movies worth watching and discussing. Every effort was made to give this list a nice balance. 

As for the best Criterion movies, that will be up to you to decide. Vote up the ones you think are the most vital, regardless of genre or when they were released. 

Most divisive: The Kid
Ranked by
  • Seven Samurai
    1

    Seven Samurai

    Akira Kurosawa
    58 votes
    • Actors: Toshiro Mifune, Takashi Shimura, Eijirō Tōno, Seiji Miyaguchi, Daisuke Katō
    • Released: 1954
    In the heart of 1586 Japan, Seven Samurai unfolds. A rural village, terrorized by marauding bandits, recruits seven ronin - masterless samurai. Leading them is Kambei (Takashi Shimura), a seasoned warrior with a strategic mind. Among his team are personalities as diverse as Kikuchiyo (Toshiro Mifune), a boisterous yet compassionate soul, and Kyuzo (Seiji Miyaguchi), the silent sword-master. Directed by Akira Kurosawa, this epic adventure-drama won several awards, including the Silver Lion at Venice Film Festival. A tale of courage and sacrifice, it's a pivotal entry in the cinematic world that transcends its genre.

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  • Bicycle Thieves
    2

    Bicycle Thieves

    Vittorio De Sica
    49 votes
    • Actors: Enzo Staiola, Lianella Carell, Lamberto Maggiorani, Fausto Guerzoni, Gino Saltamerenda
    • Released: 1948
    Bicycle Thieves, is a 1948 film directed by Vittorio De Sica. The film follows the story of a poor father searching post-World War II Rome for his stolen bicycle, without which he will lose the job which was to be the salvation of his young family. Adapted for the screen by Cesare Zavattini from a novel by Luigi Bartolini, and starring Lamberto Maggiorani as the desperate father and Enzo Staiola as his plucky young son, Bicycle Thieves is one of the masterpieces of Italian neorealism. It received an Academy Honorary Award in 1950 and, just four years after its release, was deemed the greatest film of all time by Sight & Sound magazine's poll of filmmakers and critics; fifty years later the same poll ranked it sixth among greatest-ever films. It is also one of the top ten among the British Film Institute's list of films you should see by the age of 14.

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  • M
    3

    M

    Fritz Lang
    42 votes
    • Actors: Peter Lorre, Ellen Widmann, Inge Landgut, Otto Wernicke, Gustaf Gründgens
    • Released: 1931
    In this classic German thriller, Hans Beckert (Peter Lorre), a serial killer who preys on children, becomes the focus of a massive Berlin police manhunt. Beckert's heinous crimes are so repellant and disruptive to city life that he is even targeted by others in the seedy underworld network. With both cops and criminals in pursuit, the murderer soon realizes that people are on his trail, sending him into a tense, panicked attempt to escape justice.

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  • The Third Man
    4

    The Third Man

    Carol Reed
    50 votes
    • Actors: Orson Welles, Joseph Cotten, Trevor Howard, Alida Valli, Paul Hoerbiger
    • Released: 1949
    In the aftermath of World War II, Holly Martins (Joseph Cotten), an American writer, navigates the shadowy underbelly of ruined Vienna in search of his friend Harry Lime (Orson Welles). A British officer tells him that Harry is dead, but inconsistencies arise. As a web of deception unravels, Martins discovers a chilling secret about Lime. This noir classic The Third Man is directed by Carol Reed and won an Oscar for Best Cinematography. Its haunting zither score and atmospheric cinematography remain iconic in cinema history.
  • In the Mood for Love
    5

    In the Mood for Love

    Wong Kar-wai
    36 votes
    • Actors: Maggie Cheung, Tony Leung Chiu Wai, Roy Cheung, Alien Sun, Rebecca Pan
    • Released: 2000
    In the Mood for Love is a 2000 Hong Kong film directed by Wong Kar-wai, starring Maggie Cheung and Tony Leung. The film premiered on 20 May 2000, at the 2000 Cannes Film Festival, where it was nominated for the Palme d'Or. The film's original Chinese title, meaning "the age of blossoms" or "the flowery years" – Chinese metaphor for the fleeting time of youth, beauty and love – derives from a song of the same name by Zhou Xuan from a 1946 film. The English title derives from the song, "I'm in the Mood for Love". Wong had planned to name the film Secrets, until listening to the song late in post-production. The film forms the second part of an informal trilogy, together with the first part Days of Being Wild and the last part 2046.
  • Paris, Texas
    6

    Paris, Texas

    Wim Wenders
    30 votes
    • Actors: Harry Dean Stanton, Nastassja Kinski, Dean Stockwell, Aurore Clément, Hunter Carson
    • Released: 1984
    A disheveled man who wanders out of the desert, Travis Henderson (Harry Dean Stanton) seems to have no idea who he is. When a stranger manages to contact his brother, Walt (Dean Stockwell), Travis is awkwardly reunited with his sibling. Travis has been missing for years, and his presence unsettles Walt and his family, which also includes Travis's own son, Hunter (Hunter Carson). Soon Travis must confront his wife, Jane (Nastassja Kinski), and try to put his life back together.

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