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
222 of 636 films match · Page 12 of 12
Films where Criterion's release is the pick. How picks are made
Director: Nicolas Roeg
Best English-Friendly & Video:
Criterion 4K Blu-ray
Sources: Criterion Forum (opens in a new tab)
Video Notes:
Criterion 4K Blu-ray poor compression, otherwise Second Sight has best Blu-ray
Director: Joel Coen
Best English-Friendly & Video:
Director's Cut: Disappointing UK StudioCanal/US Criterion 4K Blu-ray
Theatrical Cut: LaserDisc or 2001 UK Universal DVD
Sources: Blu-ray.com (opens in a new tab)
Video Notes:
https://forum.blu-ray.com/showthread.php?p=21782879#post21782879 - comparison. StudioCanal is a massive improvement to the Criterion but still flawed in some areas (chroma noise)
2 with a weaker 4K
Best 4K release rated Disappointing or Worse Than BD · by Letterboxd rating
Director: Nicolas Roeg
Best English-Friendly & Video:
Criterion 4K Blu-ray
Sources: Criterion Forum (opens in a new tab)
Video Notes:
Criterion 4K Blu-ray poor compression, otherwise Second Sight has best Blu-ray
Director: Joel Coen
Best English-Friendly & Video:
Director's Cut: Disappointing UK StudioCanal/US Criterion 4K Blu-ray
Theatrical Cut: LaserDisc or 2001 UK Universal DVD
Sources: Blu-ray.com (opens in a new tab)
Video Notes:
https://forum.blu-ray.com/showthread.php?p=21782879#post21782879 - comparison. StudioCanal is a massive improvement to the Criterion but still flawed in some areas (chroma noise)
24 for audio only
The best audio is Criterion's; the video and English-friendly picks are other releases · by Letterboxd rating
Director: Spike Lee
Best Audio:
Criterion DVD for the original Dolby Stereo
Sources: Criterion Forum (opens in a new tab)
Audio Notes:
Criterion DVD for the original Dolby Stereo (lossless). 5.1 upmix on BDs is fine, DTS:X is revisionistic
Best English-Friendly & Video:
Additional Info:
Criterion Blu-ray has extras not found on the Universal 4K Blu-ray
Best Audio:
2007 Criterion DVD/2011 StudioCanal Blu-ray
Sources: Criterion Forum (opens in a new tab)
Audio Notes:
2017 StudioCanal Blu-ray might(?) be the same.
Best English-Friendly & Video:
Director: John Woo
Best Audio:
Criterion LaserDisc
Sources: Criterion Forum (opens in a new tab) · Blu-ray.com (opens in a new tab)
Upcoming Release:
Audio Notes:
Both Arrow 4K Blu-ray and Shout! Factory 4K Blu-ray are worse.
Best English-Friendly & Video:
Video Notes:
Correct grade and archival extras missing from the Shout! Factory 4K Blu-ray
Additional Info:
Criterion USA LaserDisc [CC1397L]: Original Cantonese mono.
Best Cantonese mono still was from Criterion LaserDisc, as the Shout one was boosted with clipping, with some filtering and losing dynamic range over the Criterion LD.
There’s no need for other Cantonese audio, as all 5.1 remixes are extremely bad and not worth including.
For English Dub the Shout offered the best, it was pure mono. All other 5.1 remixed of said dub are also terrible and offer no value, only less fidelity and more echo.
Best Audio:
Criterion Blu-ray
Sources: Criterion Forum (opens in a new tab)
Best English-Friendly & Video:
Best Audio:
2006 R1 Criterion DVD
Best English-Friendly & Video:
2024 StudioCanal UK 4K Blu-ray
Director: Mike Nichols
Best Audio:
1987 Criterion LaserDisc
Sources: Criterion Forum (opens in a new tab) · Blu-ray.com (opens in a new tab)
Best English-Friendly & Video:
StudioCanal 4K
Video Notes:
StudioCanal 4K caps.Criterion Blu-ray better encode than StudioCanal Blu-ray.
Sources: Criterion Forum (opens in a new tab)
Best English-Friendly:
Best Video:
2023 Curzon 4K Blu-ray
Best Audio:
Criterion Blu-ray Mono
Sources: Criterion Forum (opens in a new tab)
Audio Notes:
Both tracks on the Kino Lorber 4K Blu-ray are badly remixed.
Best English-Friendly & Video:
Best Audio:
Criterion Blu-ray
Sources: Criterion Forum (opens in a new tab) · YouTube (opens in a new tab)
Best English-Friendly & Video:
Video Notes:
But compression is not very good. The two cuts are (by mistake?) separate videos on one disc.
Additional Info:
Also see review
Director: John Carpenter
Best Audio:
1994 Criterion LaserDisc
Director: Brian De Palma
Best Audio:
1993 Criterion LaserDisc
Best English-Friendly:
Best Video:
2024 Arrow 4K Blu-ray
5 announced
Criterion's release is announced; until it is out, the picks are other releases · by Letterboxd rating
Director: Bong Joon Ho
Upcoming Release:
Criterion 4K Blu-ray releasing January 2027
Sources: Criterion Forum (opens in a new tab)
Best English-Friendly:
Best Video:
France The Jokers 4K Blu-ray
Video Notes:
France The Jokers 4K Blu-ray has the least DNR (UK Artificial Eye might be similar? Both better than Universal 4K Blu-ray)
Criterion even though doesn’t have 4K, it has the B&W version and a lot of extras.
Upcoming Release:
Criterion 4K Blu-ray scheduled for October 2026 release
Sources: Criterion Forum (opens in a new tab)
Best English-Friendly & Video:
Video Notes:
Best Audio:
1991 Orion LaserDisc vs 2024 Arrow 4K Blu-ray
Additional Info:
Criterion Blu-ray has exclusive extras
Director: John Schlesinger
Upcoming Release:
2027 Criterion 4K Blu-ray
Sources: Criterion Forum (opens in a new tab) · Blu-ray.com (opens in a new tab)
Best English-Friendly & Video:
Additional Info:
Included Imprint Blu-Ray also has markedly better image compression than the Criterion Blu-Ray, though do note the Imprint has some adjusted color grading within roughly the first five minutes of the film
https://forum.blu-ray.com/showpost.php?p=16775595&postcount=450
https://forum.blu-ray.com/showpost.php?p=24237074&postcount=73
Director: Barry Jenkins
Upcoming Release:
Criterion 4K Blu-ray announced by director Barry Jenkins
Best English-Friendly & Video:
Lionsgate 4k
Director: Stanley Kubrick
Upcoming Release:
Criterion Box Set coming October 20th with FiM encode
Sources: Criterion Forum (opens in a new tab)
Best English-Friendly & Video:
Know a film where the Criterion release is the one to buy? Suggest it