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74 voters

The 100+ Best Movies Streaming On The Criterion Channel

Updated September 9, 2020 1.6k votes 74 voters 2.6k views102 items

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.

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Seven Samurai
Akira Kurosawa
Actors: Toshiro Mifune, Takashi Shimura, Eijirō Tōno, Seiji Miyaguchi, Daisuke Katō
Released: 1954
Seven Samurai is a 1954 Japanese Jidaigeki adventure film co-written, edited, and directed by Akira Kurosawa. It follows the story of a village of farmers that hire seven ronin to combat bandits who... more
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33
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The Third Man
Carol Reed
Actors: Orson Welles, Trevor Howard, Joseph Cotten, Carol Reed, Alida Valli
Released: 1949
The Third Man is a 1949 British film noir, directed by Carol Reed and starring Joseph Cotten, Alida Valli, Orson Welles, and Trevor Howard. It is considered one of the greatest films of all time,... more
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34
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Citizen Kane
Orson Welles
Actors: Orson Welles, Alan Ladd, Agnes Moorehead, Joseph Cotten, Arthur O'Connell
Released: 1941
Citizen Kane is a 1941 American drama film produced by, co-written by, directed by and starring Orson Welles. The picture was Welles's first feature film. The film was nominated for Academy Awards in... more
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M
Fritz Lang
Actors: Peter Lorre, Theo Lingen, Georg John, Theodor Loos, Gustaf Gründgens
Released: 1931
M is a 1931 German drama-thriller film directed by Fritz Lang and starring Peter Lorre. It was written by Lang and his wife Thea von Harbou and was the director's first sound film. Now considered a... more
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27
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The 400 Blows
François Truffaut
Actors: Jeanne Moreau, Jean Piere Leaud, Jean-Claude Brialy, Jacques Demy, Albert Rémy
Released: 1959
The 400 Blows is a 1959 French drama film, the debut by director François Truffaut; it stars Jean-Pierre Léaud, Albert Rémy, and Claire Maurier. One of the defining films of the French New Wave, it... more
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Bicycle Thieves
Vittorio De Sica
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... more
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Chungking Express
Wong Kar-wai
Actors: Tony Leung Chiu Wai, Faye Wong, Takeshi Kaneshiro, Valerie Chow, Brigitte Lin
Released: 1994
Chungking Express is a 1994 Hong Kong drama film written and directed by Wong Kar-wai. The film consists of two stories told in sequence, each about a lovesick Hong Kong policeman mulling over his... more
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19
4
Night of the Living Dead
George A. Romero
Actors: George A. Romero, Duane Jones, Bill Hinzman, Karl Hardman, Judith O'Dea
Released: 1968
Night of the Living Dead is a 1968 American independent zombie horror film directed by George A. Romero, starring Duane Jones, Judith O'Dea and Karl Hardman. It premiered on October 1, 1968, and was... more
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The Seventh Seal
Ingmar Bergman
Actors: Max von Sydow, Bibi Andersson, Gunnar Björnstrand, Nils Poppe, Erik Strandmark
Released: 1957
The Seventh Seal is a 1957 Swedish drama-fantasy film written and directed by Ingmar Bergman. Set in Denmark it tells of the journey of a medieval knight and a game of chess, who has come to take his... more
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22
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Hoop Dreams
Steve James
Actors: William Gates, Arthur Agee, Emma Gates
Released: 1994
Hoop Dreams is a 1994 American documentary film directed by Steve James and written by James and Frederick Marx, with Kartemquin Films. It follows the story of two African-American high school... more

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Grey Gardens
Albert Maysles, David Maysles
Released: 1975
Grey Gardens is a 1975 American documentary film by Albert and David Maysles. Ellen Hovde and Muffie Meyer also directed, and Susan Froemke was the associate producer. Although Susan Froemke is often... more
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City Lights
Charlie Chaplin
Actors: Charlie Chaplin, Jean Harlow, Virginia Cherrill, Hank Mann, Harry Myers
Released: 1931
City Lights is a 1931 American romantic comedy film written by, directed by, and starring Charlie Chaplin. The story follows the misadventures of Chaplin's Tramp as he falls in love with a blind girl... more
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19
6
Battleship Potemkin
Sergei Eisenstein
Actors: Sergei Eisenstein, Grigori Aleksandrov, Aleksandr Antonov, Andrei Fajt, Beatrice Vitoldi
Released: 1925
Battleship Potemkin, sometimes rendered as Battleship Potyomkin, is a 1925 silent film directed by Sergei Eisenstein and produced by Mosfilm. It presents a dramatized version of the mutiny that... more
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5
Les Diaboliques
Henri-Georges Clouzot
Actors: Simone Signoret, Michel Serrault, Paul Meurisse, Jean Lefebvre, Charles Vanel
Released: 1955
Les Diaboliques, released as Diabolique in the United States and variously translated as The Devils or The Fiends, is a 1955 French black-and-white psychological thriller feature film directed by... more
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The 39 Steps
Alfred Hitchcock
Actors: Alfred Hitchcock, Madeleine Carroll, Robert Donat, Peggy Ashcroft, John Laurie
Released: 1935
The 39 Steps is a 1935 British thriller film directed by Alfred Hitchcock and starring Robert Donat and Madeleine Carroll. Loosely based on the 1915 adventure novel The Thirty-Nine Steps by John... more
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13
2
In the Mood for Love
Wong Kar-wai
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... more
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14
5
A Hard Day's Night
Richard Lester
Actors: Paul McCartney, John Lennon, George Harrison, Phil Collins, Ringo Starr
Released: 1964
A Hard Day's Night is a 1964 British black-and-white comedy film directed by Richard Lester and starring the Beatles—John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison and Ringo Starr—during the height of... more
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9
Stranger Than Paradise
Jim Jarmusch
Actors: Richard Edson, Rockets Redglare, Sara Driver, Tom DiCillo, Rammellzee
Released: 1984
Stranger Than Paradise is a 1984 American absurdist/deadpan comedy film. It was written and directed by Jim Jarmusch and stars jazz musician John Lurie, former Sonic Youth drummer-turned-actor... more
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13
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Amarcord
Federico Fellini
Actors: Ciccio Ingrassia, Magali Noël, Pupella Maggio, Maria Antonietta Beluzzi, Gianfilippo Carcano
Released: 1973
Amarcord is a 1973 Italian comedy-drama film directed by Federico Fellini, a semi-autobiographical coming-of-age tale about Titta, an adolescent boy growing up among an eccentric cast of characters... more
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13
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Stagecoach
John Ford
Actors: John Wayne, John Carradine, Claire Trevor, Andy Devine, Thomas Mitchell
Released: 1939
Stagecoach is a 1939 American Western film directed by John Ford, starring Claire Trevor and John Wayne in his breakthrough role. The screenplay, written by Dudley Nichols, is an adaptation of "The... more

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10
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The Manchurian Candidate
John Frankenheimer
Actors: Frank Sinatra, Angela Lansbury, Janet Leigh, Laurence Harvey, Henry Silva
Released: 1962
The Manchurian Candidate is a 1962 American Cold War suspense thriller directed by John Frankenheimer that stars Frank Sinatra, Laurence Harvey and Janet Leigh and co-stars Angela Lansbury, Henry... more
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12
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Babette's Feast
Gabriel Axel
Actors: Bibi Andersson, Stéphane Audran, Jarl Kulle, Ghita Nørby, Bodil Kjer
Released: 1987
Babette's Feast is a 1987 Danish drama film directed by Gabriel Axel. The film's screenplay was written by Axel based on the story by Isak Dinesen. Produced by Just Betzer, Bo Christensen, and Benni... more
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13
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The Player
Robert Altman
Actors: Julia Roberts, Bruce Willis, Whoopi Goldberg, Jeff Goldblum, John Cusack
Released: 1992
The Player is a 1992 American satirical film directed by Robert Altman from a screenplay by Michael Tolkin based on his own 1988 novel of the same name. It is the story of Hollywood studio executive... more
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Modern Times
Charlie Chaplin
Actors: Charlie Chaplin, Paulette Goddard, Edward LeSaint, Chester Conklin, Richard Alexander
Released: 1936
Modern Times is a 1936 comedy film written and directed by Charlie Chaplin in which his iconic Little Tramp character struggles to survive in the modern, industrialized world. The film is a comment... more
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Paris, Texas
Wim Wenders
Actors: Nastassja Kinski, Sam Shepard, Dean Stockwell, Harry Dean Stanton, Bernhard Wicki
Released: 1984
Paris, Texas is a 1984 drama film directed by Wim Wenders and starring Harry Dean Stanton, Dean Stockwell, Nastassja Kinski, and Hunter Carson. The screenplay was written by L.M. Kit Carson and... more