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EnglishWhat Kinds of Films and Editions Can I Find on criterion.com?
Updated
criterion.com is the online home of The Criterion Collection, a publisher and streaming service focused on "important classic and contemporary cinema from around the world." On the site you'll find two main things: a curated catalog of films spanning many countries and eras, and a continuing series of Blu-ray and DVD editions that package those films with supplemental features. If you want to browse, buy physical editions, or learn what a Criterion release includes, the site is organized around those two purposes.
The Films: Classic and Contemporary Cinema from Around the World
The catalog is deliberately broad in geography and period. The site describes its scope as important classic and contemporary cinema from around the world, which means you should expect:
- Classic cinema — canonical older works that shaped film history.
- Contemporary cinema — newer films by directors the Collection considers significant.
- International titles — films from many countries and languages, not just Hollywood.
The practical takeaway: this is a curated selection, not a comprehensive catalog of everything released. If you're looking for a specific mainstream title, it may not be here; if you're looking for a landmark or critically respected film from almost any filmmaking tradition, it's worth searching the site directly.
The Editions: Blu-ray and DVD Releases
Beyond streaming, the site's core product is its physical editions. The Collection describes these as a "continuing series of Blu-ray and DVD editions," which tells you two useful things:
- Formats — releases come in Blu-ray and DVD. The site's own description names these two formats; check individual product pages for which format a given title is available in.
- Ongoing series — new editions are added over time rather than being a fixed, closed set, so the catalog changes.
Each edition is a specific packaged release of a film, not just a bare disc. That distinction matters when comparing Criterion editions to standard studio releases.
What Comes With an Edition: Supplemental Features
The site states that its editions feature "award-winning supplemental features." In practice, this is the main reason collectors seek out Criterion releases: the disc is sold as a package built around the film plus extra material. When evaluating a specific title, look at that title's product page to see exactly which supplements are listed for that edition, since contents vary by release.
How to Decide What to Look For
| If you want… | Start with… |
|---|---|
| A specific classic or international film | Search the site by title or director |
| A physical copy to own | The Blu-ray/DVD edition pages in the shop |
| Extras and contextual material | The supplemental features listed on each edition's page |
| Streaming rather than discs | The Criterion Channel, linked from the site |
Note that the site links to a separate subscription sign-up for The Criterion Channel and to a shop checkout for purchases. The available materials don't state prices or whether browsing requires an account, so check the individual pages and checkout flow for current terms rather than assuming.
Quick Verification Steps
To confirm what's actually available for a film you care about:
- Search criterion.com for the title or director.
- Open the edition page and check the format (Blu-ray or DVD) and the listed supplemental features.
- Use the shop checkout link only after confirming the specific edition and format you want.
The main pitfall is assuming every film on the site has a current physical edition in both formats, or that a given edition's extras match another release of the same film. Verify per title.