Based in New York, Criterion has released classic and contemporary films since 1984, giving each title a spine number and adding commentaries, essays and supplements. Many discs use new restorations it supervises, and 4K UHD releases began in November 2021. North American Blu-rays are Region A locked, with a smaller Region B UK line since 2016; Janus Films is a sister company, and Steven Rales has owned both since 2024.
Criterion
636 films on Best BluraysBest video release: 222 in 4K405 in HD9 in SD38 more for audio only19 more announced
Best 4K release by tier:
- Excellent141
- Solid55
- Superior Imports1
- Good Imports1
- Good in DV Only1
- Disappointing3
- Worse Than BD1
Films where Criterion's release is the pick. How picks are made
405 of 636 films match · Page 10 of 21
Films where Criterion's release is the pick. How picks are made
Director: Roberto Rossellini
Best English-Friendly:
Criterion Blu-ray
Sources: Criterion Forum (opens in a new tab)
Best Video:
Criterion, 2k transfer, source can't be improved
Director: Jane Campion
Best English-Friendly:
Criterion Blu-ray
Sources: Criterion Forum (opens in a new tab)
Best Video:
Criterion
Video Notes:
Criterion better
Best English-Friendly:
Criterion Blu-ray
Sources: Criterion Forum (opens in a new tab) · slow.pics (opens in a new tab)
Best Video:
Audio Notes:
Criterion is filtered. Comparisons
Director: Pier Paolo Pasolini
Best English-Friendly:
Criterion Blu-ray
Sources: Criterion Forum (opens in a new tab)
Best Video:
Carlotta Passolini set
Director: Jacques Demy
Best English-Friendly:
Criterion Blu-ray
Sources: Criterion Forum (opens in a new tab)
Best Video:
Criterion Demy Set
Video Notes:
But terrible DNR from master for all releases
Director: David Lynch
Sources: Criterion Forum (opens in a new tab) · Reddit (opens in a new tab) · dvdexotica.com (opens in a new tab)
Video Notes:
Criterion 4k resto, but it was AI upscaled although supervised and approved by Lynch https://www.reddit.com/r/davidlynch/comments/12klbw9/inland_empire_and_ai_upscaling/
See another detailed review: https://www.dvdexotica.com/2015/05/lets-get-serious-about-inland-empire.html
Directors: Jean-Pierre Dardenne & Luc Dardenne
Best English-Friendly & Video:
Old Criterion Blu-ray
Sources: Criterion Forum (opens in a new tab) · americancinematheque.com (opens in a new tab)
Video Notes:
Old Criterion Blu-ray or wait for unreleased restoration
Old Criterion or new 4k resto unreleased https://www.americancinematheque.com/now-showing/lenfant-rosetta-3-25-23/
Director: John Ford
Best English-Friendly:
Criterion Blu-ray
Sources: Criterion Forum (opens in a new tab)
Best Video:
Criterion Blu-ray, 4K restoration
Director: Sarah Maldoror
Best English-Friendly:
Criterion Blu-ray
Sources: Criterion Forum (opens in a new tab)
Best Video:
Criterion Blu-ray Martin Scorsese's World Cinema Project, No. 4
Director: Roman Polanski
Best English-Friendly & Video:
Criterion Blu-ray
Sources: Criterion Forum (opens in a new tab)
Director: Nicholas Ray
Best English-Friendly:
Criterion Blu-ray
Sources: Criterion Forum (opens in a new tab)
Best Video:
Criterion 2k transfer
Director: Alfred Hitchcock
Sources: Criterion Forum (opens in a new tab)
Best Audio:
1989 Criterion LaserDisc
Directors: Jean Rouch & Edgar Morin
Best English-Friendly:
Criterion Blu-ray
Sources: Criterion Forum (opens in a new tab)
Best Video:
Criterion 2k transfer
Directors: David Maysles & Charlotte Zwerin & Albert Maysles
Best English-Friendly:
Criterion Blu-ray
Sources: Criterion Forum (opens in a new tab)
Best Video:
Criterion 4k resto
Director: Ernst Lubitsch
Best English-Friendly:
Criterion Blu-ray
Sources: Criterion Forum (opens in a new tab)
Best Video:
Criterion HD resto
Director: Samuel Fuller
Best English-Friendly & Video:
Criterion Blu-ray
Sources: Criterion Forum (opens in a new tab)
Video Notes:
France is using the same transfer
Director: John Waters
Best English-Friendly:
Criterion Blu-ray
Sources: Criterion Forum (opens in a new tab)
Best Video:
Criterion 4k resto
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