Criterion Channel Favorites
let's talk about the classics
There is a seemingly endless barrage of streaming services available now. Almost every network has its own proprietary service and the streaming service landscape is so fragmented that it’s starting to feel like cable again which is what we were all trying to escape in the first place.
A majority of streaming services feature modern movies first and foremost, with maybe a few classics thrown in. But what if you want to watch an older movie? What if you want to watch some artsy shit? Something that maybe you don’t exactly know much about but you heard it was a classic. Is there a streaming service for that?
Hell yeah, there is and it just celebrated its second birthday this week. That service is called The Criterion Channel. An offshoot of The Criterion Collection, it’s home to a really unique and fun library. It’s full of old films, lots of foreign directors, double features, and lots of other cool stuff that gives it a more curated vibe than any other current streamer.
Below is a list of some of my favorite offerings on the channel. This is by no means an exhaustive list and it might not even be a good one. The service is FULL of classic films and legendary directors. There are probably some films on there that are considered “can’t miss” that I won’t list here because I haven’t seen them or like some other movies better. Some of them are older and in different languages but I still encourage you to watch them if you can. I wouldn’t recommend them if I didn’t think it was worth your time.
One cool thing about The Criterion Channel is that they put a good chunk of their films on the service HBO MAX and I’ll note that if it’s applicable. If not, the Criterion Channel offers a 14-day free trial, and then if you want to continue it’s $11 a month. Or you can do what I do and just trade another one of your streaming logins for access to the Criterion Collection.
Here are my favorites!
Title: M
Director: Fritz Lang
Release Year: 1932
Language: German
Where To Watch: Criterion Channel & HBO MAX
Why: This is the movie that really set a blueprint for the “psychological thriller” genre. A whistled tune preempts a murder and is repeated throughout the film. You know who the murder is almost immediately, but what you don’t know is how far he’ll go or if the vigilante justice set out by the Mob will succeed in catching the killer before the cops. Also, the killer is murdering children almost exclusively. Despite being so old, this movie is still tense and a fun watch.
Title: Seven Samurai
Director: Akira Kurosawa
Release Year: 1954
Language: Japanese
Where To Watch: The Criterion Channel & HBO MAX
Why: SEVEN SAMURAI kicks ass. It’s long (3 1/2 hours) but well worth the watch. It tells the story of a 16th-century village that hires the eponymous warriors to protect them from the roving gangs of bandits that wander the Japanese countryside.
The film weaves philosophy and action effortlessly, and the fighting scenes with the samurai and bandits still hold up incredibly well. Kurosawa made a lot of incredible films but this is one of my favorites.
Title: California Split
Director: Robert Altman
Release Year: 1974
Language: English
Where To Watch: The Criterion Channel only
Why: Goddam, do I love me some Elliot Gould. The guy simply rocks and young Elliot Gould is a star. Unfortunately, a majority of people only seem to know him as Monica’s dad on Friends or as Reuben in the OCEAN’S franchise. That’s gotta change and this is a great place to start. Also, this is one of 3 gambling movies on this list. I like gambling movies.
Gould stars alongside George Segal as Charlie Walters and Bill Denny, respectively. They’re two guys who gamble and have extraordinarily bad luck. Until that is, they find that when they team up, they cannot be beaten.
The vibes in this movie are IMMACULATE and whenever I want to be cool I just try to emulate George Segal.
Title: The Texas Chainsaw Massacre
Director: Tobe Hooper
Release Year: 1974
Language: English
Where To Watch: Criterion Channel only
Why: I really don’t have much to say about this movie that hasn’t already been said, but it’s a classic for a reason. It’s still scary as hell, less than 90 minutes long, and wildly, wildly funny. If you haven’t seen this one yet, here’s a good reason to watch it.
Title: Picnic At Hanging Rock
Director: Peter Weir
Release Year: 1975
Language: English
Where To Watch: Criterion Channel and HBO MAX
Why: This is a film that Damon Lindelof made the entire staff watch when he was working on The Leftovers (one of the best television shows of all time) and it’s obvious to see why. The movie centers around the disappearance of several women from an all-female college at the turn of the 20th century as they are out for a picnic on St. Valentines Day.
Like Lindelof’s other well-known television work, LOST, PICNIC AT HANGING ROCK isn’t super big on providing answers to the mystery it unvails. It’s more about the effects the disappearance has on the other girls. It’s not particularly scary, but it’s quite unsettling, never letting the viewer in as much as they might want to be.
Title: Stalker
Director: Andrei Tarkovsky
Release Year: 1979
Language: Russian
Where To Watch: Criterion Channel only
Why: Do you, like me, love ANNIHILATION? This is ANNIHILATION but before ANNIHILATION. It’s also Tarkovsky’s final film Soviet feature.
A hired guide—the Stalker—leads a writer and a professor into the heart of the Zone, the restricted site of a long-ago disaster, where the three men eventually zero in on the Room, a place rumored to fulfill one’s most deeply held desires. Along the way, they discuss what those desires are. The film is allegorical, metaphysical, a political reflection, and so much more. A film that rewards multiple rewatches because, at the end of the day, it can mean whatever you want it to mean.
Title: Atlantic City
Director: Louis Malle
Release Year: 1980
Language: English
Where To Watch: Criterion Channel only
Why: When they were making the film UNCUT GEMS, the Safdie Brothers said that ATLANTIC CITY was one of their biggest influences. I loved UNCUT GEMS so I had to see what was up.
Susan Sarandon plays a young waitress and aspiring blackjack dealer when she meets Lou (Burt Lancaster), a washed-up former gangster. They’re both down on their luck (classic) but are forced to work together when a drug deal goes bad. They’re both looking for redemption and they’re hoping to find it in each other.
While it’s certainly not as tense as UG, it’s easy to see the parallels the Safdie’s used when making their own crime thriller. Great performances, especially from Lancaster.
Title: Hard Eight
Director: Paul Thomas Anderson
Release Year: 1996
Language: English
Where To Watch: Criterion Channel only
Why: Last week’s issue of Working Title was all about good directorial debuts and it’s honestly a crime that this one was left off of that list.
Paul Thomas Anderson makes his directorial debut in this neonoir film about a veteran gambler who takes in a small timer who’s down on his luck (surprise) after they meet in a diner in Sparks, NV. Phillip Baker Hall plays the veteran Sydney, John C. Reilly plays the down-and-outer, John. Sydney offers John a ride to Vegas and before long, John is doing alright for himself. However, he becomes involved with a cocktail waitress, played by Gwenneth Paltrow, threatening to break up the bond he has with Sydney.
I know she’s just known for being the GOOP lady now, but Gweneth Paltrow is a really good actress and this is a prime example. She steals the scenes she’s in and the entire movie is coolly watchable.
Title: In The Mood For Love
Director: Wong Kar-Wai
Release Year: 2000
Language: Cantonese
Where To Watch: Criterion Channel & HBO MAX
Why: This movie is often listed as one of the best movies of all time and I say that earnestly. It was number 2 on the BBC’s 100 Greatest Films of the 21st Century.
Set in Hong Kong in 1962: Chow Mo-wan (Tony Leung Chiu-wai) and Su Li-zhen (Maggie Cheung Man-yuk) move into neighboring apartments on the same day. Their encounters are formal and polite until a discovery about their spouses creates an intimate bond between them.
I really don’t want to spoil too much of this movie because it’s honestly best to just watch it. It is a truly special film, beautiful and haunting. It’s about the fleeting moments and missed chances and love and it’s all so incredibly well done.
I really, really encourage you to take advantage of The Criterion Channel’s 14-day trial and watch some of these movies. They’re hard to find and the opportunity to watch them and see how they’ve influenced modern film is something rare. The Criterion Channel is one of my favorite streaming services and I hope you enjoy it too!