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 4 of 12
Films where Criterion's release is the pick. How picks are made
Best English-Friendly & Video:
Criterion 4K Blu-ray
Sources: Criterion Forum (opens in a new tab)
Best English-Friendly:
Theatrical: Arrow 4K Blu-ray or Criterion 4K Blu-ray (preference)
Sources: Criterion Forum (opens in a new tab)
Best Video:
Theatrical: Arrow 4K Blu-ray and Criterion 4K Blu-ray have different gradings (preference)
Best Audio:
Audio Notes:
(unsure about Criterion, which lacks the 5.1 on the Arrow)
Director: Andrew Haigh
Best English-Friendly:
Criterion 4K Blu-ray
Sources: Criterion Forum (opens in a new tab)
Best Video:
Criterion 4K Blu-ray see review
Director: Seijun Suzuki
Best English-Friendly & Video:
Criterion 4K Blu-ray
Sources: Criterion Forum (opens in a new tab)
Director: John Sayles
Best English-Friendly:
Criterion
Sources: Criterion Forum (opens in a new tab)
Best Video:
Criterion 4K Blu-ray (Chris's review)
Directors: Allen Hughes & Albert Hughes
Best English-Friendly & Video:
Criterion 4K Blu-ray
Sources: Criterion Forum (opens in a new tab)
Additional Info:
Criterion 4K Blu-ray has the most extras, the old WB/New Line Blu-ray has a exclusive commentary with both Hughes Brothers.
Director: Terry Gilliam
Best English-Friendly & Video:
Criterion 4K Blu-ray
Sources: Criterion Forum (opens in a new tab)
Director: Bob Fosse
Best English-Friendly & Video:
Criterion 4K Blu-ray
Sources: Criterion Forum (opens in a new tab)
Director: Mira Nair
Best English-Friendly, Video & Audio:
Criterion 4K Blu-ray
Sources: Criterion Forum (opens in a new tab)
Director: Delmer Daves
Best English-Friendly:
Criterion 4K Blu-ray
Sources: Criterion Forum (opens in a new tab) · slow.pics (opens in a new tab)
Best Video:
Criterion 4K Blu-ray see caps
Additional Info:
All audio tracks originate from the same DVD-era master, no real audible differences between them, but Carlotta is least filtered out of all
Director: Joel Coen
Best English-Friendly & Video:
Criterion 4K Blu-ray
Sources: Criterion Forum (opens in a new tab)
Best English-Friendly & Video:
Criterion 4K Blu-ray
Sources: Criterion Forum (opens in a new tab) · Blu-ray.com (opens in a new tab)
Video Notes:
Criterion 4K Blu-ray from the BFI 4k restoration
Director: Charles Vidor
Best English-Friendly, Video & Audio:
Criterion 4K Blu-ray
Sources: Criterion Forum (opens in a new tab)
Video Notes:
Criterion 4K Blu-ray (review)
Audio Notes:
A new transfer from the optical soundtrack negative.
Additional Info:
the older Blu-ray is included in the Criterion 4K Blu-ray
Director: John Hughes
Best English-Friendly & Video:
Criterion 4K
Sources: Criterion Forum (opens in a new tab) · slow.pics (opens in a new tab) · caps-a-holic (opens in a new tab)
Video Notes:
Criterion 4K see caps
Criterion Blu-ray and Universal 30th anniversary both use same 4K scan, Universal has more bitrate but looks the same, Criterion has more extras https://caps-a-holic.com/c.php?d1=11241&d2=9287&c=3754
Best English-Friendly & Video:
Arrow UK or Criterion US 4K Blu-ray (preference)
Sources: Criterion Forum (opens in a new tab)
Video Notes:
Arrow UK & Criterion US 4K Blu-ray have different gradings (preference, Arrow 4K Blu-ray is encoded by Fidelity in Motion)
Director: Albert Brooks
Best English-Friendly & Video:
Criterion 4K Blu-ray
Sources: Criterion Forum (opens in a new tab)
Director: Alejandro Amenábar
Best English-Friendly:
StudioCanal or Criterion 4K Blu-ray
Sources: Criterion Forum (opens in a new tab) · Blu-ray.com (opens in a new tab)
Best Video:
StudioCanal/Criterion 4K Blu-ray
Video Notes:
(StudioCanal has 5.1 and is slightly sharper and not low-pass filtered, both have differing extras) (capsule review)
Best Audio:
Audio Notes:
StudioCanal 4K Blu-ray has the original 5.1 audio
Additional Info:
both 4K Blu-rays have differing extras
Director: Budd Boetticher
Best English-Friendly & Video:
Criterion 4K Blu-ray
Sources: Criterion Forum (opens in a new tab)
Additional Info:
Indicator Blu-ray has better presented extras plus additional unique extras.
Director: Sean Baker
Best English-Friendly & Video:
Criterion/Capelight Germany/Madman Australia 4K Blu-ray
Sources: Criterion Forum (opens in a new tab) · slow.pics (opens in a new tab) · Blu-ray.com (opens in a new tab)
Video Notes:
Neither Criterion nor Germany Capelight 4K Blu-ray has good encoding https://slow.pics/c/bWhRoxpi also see Criterion review with disappointing compression per Geoff D
See nic's review for more: https://forum.blu-ray.com/showpost.php?p=23180007&postcount=29.
Since posting this, I watched the Capelight in full and the anomalies the caps reveal didn’t bother me in motion. I did look out for issues and can’t really complain. The trickiest scenes are those set in daylight, particularly in the third act, and the Criterion looks terrible here. Unfortunately the caps are just from the first hour but in doing comparisons with the discs, I noticed that Capelight managed to resolve detail more evenly and makes for a more satisfying experience in my mind.
Australia Madman is very similar to Criterion, see caps provided by Joel https://slow.pics/c/9MDRLoOl and https://slow.pics/c/1EVsFQCZ
Best English-Friendly:
Criterion 4K Blu-ray
Sources: Criterion Forum (opens in a new tab)
Best Video:
Criterion 4K Blu-ray Chris’ review
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