The Criterion Collection is a group that works to preserve important and classic films. The films they choose to preserve tend to be exemplary movies and portray high achievement in movie making. It’s also an ever-growing collection.
Just this April, The Criterion Collection added six movies, including Raging Bull and Drive My Car. The growing collection features films made as early as 1921, all the way to films made as recently as 2021. The collection now has now reached a total of 1,100 movies.
We’ve listed several of our favorite films to appear in the Criterion Collection. Although movie tastes can be subjective, the films on this list are ones we would recommend time and time again. We decided to break this down to reference horror or scary movies, suspense, comedies, and even documentaries. With that said, let’s dive into the best of the collection!
The Silence Of The Lambs – 1991
[Image via Orion Pictures]
- Director: Jonathan Demme
- Starring: Jodie Foster, Anthony Hopkins, & Ted Levine
The Silence of the Lambs follows FBI agent Clarice Starling (Foster) solving a series of grotesque and brutal murders. She seeks the help of Hannibal Lecter (Hopkins), a cannibal and serial killer locked in an insane asylum. A strange partnership forms between the two as they try to find the serial killer known only as Buffalo Bill (Levine).
Pop culture is rife with The Silence of the Lambs parodies. The Simpsons, South Park, and even Dumb and Dumber reference this film. However, the reason is apparent: The Silence of the Lambs is one of the greatest films of all time.
The film earned seven Academy Award nominations and five wins. The awards include Best Actor in a Lead (Hopkins), Best Actress in a Lead (Foster), and Best Picture. Additionally, the film made more than $272 million with only a $19 million budget. It was both a critical hit and a commercial success! There have since been spin-offs about Lecter’s character too!
Wildlife – 2018
[Image via IFC Films]
- Director: Paul Dano
- Starring: Carey Mulligan, Jake Gyllenhaal, Ed Oxenbould, & Bill Camp
Wildlife was written and directed by Paul Dano, who readers will probably know better as The Riddler from The Batman that came out in 2022. The movie is a coming-of-age story that follows Joe Brinson (Oxenbould) shortly after his family movies to a small town in Montana. Soon after the move, the family begins to dissolve, and his parent’s divorce seems imminent.
Wildlife doesn’t offer a revolutionary plot or mind-bending special effects. However, the honesty and vulnerability in the performances carry the film. Viewers will walk away from the experience more than satisfied. You’ll certainly understand how it became part of the Criterion Collection once you see it.
Punch-Drunk Love – 2002
[Image via Columbia Pictures]
- Director: Paul Thomas Anderson
- Starring: Adam Sandler, Emily Watson, Philip Seymour Hoffman, & Luis Guzman
Punch-Drunk Love is about the socially awkward Barry Egan (Sandler) and his pursuit of love. He is on the run though, as the proprietor of a phone-sex hotline (Hoffman) is actively seeking Barry after an overnight call with one of his operators.
Writer and director Paul Thomas Anderson is better known for There Will Be Blood, Boogie Nights, and most recently Licorice Pizza. However, the light-hearted Punch-Drunk Love deserves just as much praise as these other films. The fact that he directed Adam Sandler in a serious role is just further evidence of this film’s achievement.
Sandler might be known for his comedy, but thanks to the Criterion Collection, you can see him show off his dramatic chops in a massive way.
One Night In Miami… – 2020
[Image via Amazon Studios]
- Director: Regina King
- Starring: Kingsley Ben-Adir, Eli Goree, Aldis Hodge, & Leslie Odom Jr.
One Night In Miami… is the story of the titans of the civil rights movement spending an evening together in a hotel in Miami. Indeed, the characters include Malcolm X (Ben-Adir), Cassius Clay (Goree), Jim Brown (Hodge), and Sam Cooke (Odom Jr.). These four discuss their roles in the changing times and what it means to be a black man in America.
Less is more in One Night in Miami… as the majority of the film takes place in a single location, and with only these four characters present. However, the emotional highs and lows of the evening are just as impactful of a journey for the viewer. To make it into the Criterion Collection still being such a recent film, you needed to have made an impact. This movie certainly accomplished that.
Bottle Rocket – 1996
[Image via Columbia Pictures]
- Director: Wes Anderson
- Starring: Owen Wilson, Luke Wilson, Robert Musgrave, & Lumi Cavazos
Bottle Rocket is about Anthony Adams (Luke Wilson) as he helps his friend Dignan (Owen Wilson) organize and pull off heists. While in hiding after robbing a bookstore, Anthony falls in love with the hotel’s cleaning lady, Inez (Cavazos). Their budding romance puts a damper on future jobs for the robbers, and even their finances at risk.
This film launched not only Wes Anderson’s career, but the careers of both Luke and Owen Wilson. Anderson met the Wilson brothers at The University of Texas at Austin, and together they wrote and created the low-budget masterpiece Bottle Rocket. While this movie won’t go down as the best film for any man referenced, it was still a great movie that set them up for big careers in Hollywood.
Inside Llewyn Davis – 2013
[Image via Paramount Global]
- Directors: Ethan & Joel Coen
- Starring: Oscar Isaac, Carey Mulligan, John Goodman, & Justin Timberlake
Inside Llewyn Davis is the story of a struggling folk singer, Llewyn Davis (Isaac). Llewyn wanders through Greenwich Village facing career roadblocks and ghosts of his past. He eventually leaves Greenwich Village for Chicago to perform for a titan of the industry, hoping for the break he desperately needs.
The Coen Brothers are better known for their films Fargo, No Country for Old Men, and True Grit. Thus, Inside Llewyn Davis has flown under the radar for most Coen Brothers fans. However, this film holds up just as well as other Coen Bros. films and is well worth checking out. It’s just a bit more “sensitive” than their other movies.
The Man Who Fell To Earth – 1976
[Image via British Lion Films]
- Director: Nicolas Roeg
- Starring: David Bowie, Candy Clark, Rip Torn, & Buck Henry
David Bowie (yes, that David Bowie) plays an alien that lands on Earth in The Man Who Fell to Earth. This creature is looking for water to bring back to his home planet. However, while working out a way to transport the water back home, his plans are intercepted by the U.S. government. Everything is suddenly put at risk, and the alien is trapped on Earth.
The Man Who Fell to Earth is one of those films people either love or hate. The plot is complex almost to a fault. Bowie, although an incredible musician, is not a great actor. Yet this movie will certainly sit with you. If nothing else, The Man Who Fell to Earth is a film that everyone should see at least once. You can do just that with the Criterion Collection streaming service too!
Parasite – 2019
[Image via CJ Entertainment]
- Director: Bong Joon-ho
- Starring: Song Kang-Ho, Lee Sun-kyun, Cho Yeo-jeong, & Choi Woo-shik
Parasite is a South Korean film about a family living in slums who suddenly have an opportunity to reverse their fortunes. When the son (Woo-shik) begins tutoring a rich girl, the rest of the family offers their services to earn money from this affluent family. Things begin going south quickly when the group finds what’s hiding underneath this rich family’s home.
Parasite stunned audiences worldwide, and for good reason. The film was nominated for six Academy Awards and walked away with four of them, including Best Original Screenplay, Best Director, and Best Picture. Although this is a foreign film, Bong Joon-ho himself puts it best:
“Once you overcome the 1-inch tall barrier of subtitles, you will be introduced to so many more amazing films.”
Nanook Of The North – 1922
[Image via Pathé Exchange]
- Director: Robert J. Flaherty
- Starring: Allakariallak, Nyla, & Cunayou
Nanook of the North is a documentary following Allakariallak or “Nanook,” and his family. They belong to the Inuk people of the Arctic regions. The documentary shows their life, livelihoods, and how they survive in the harsh and uninhabited North. Nanook of the North is one of the first feature-length documentaries to reach commercial success.
Some critics scrutinize the film for staging events to make it more marketable to audiences. Either way, the film is an interesting look at the beginning of the documentary genre. On top of this, they gave us great insight into what one might deal with in their position. It might be part of the Library of Congress and all, but it’s also part of the Criterion Collection that you can check out today!
Beasts Of No Nation – 2015
[Image via Bleeker Street & Netflix]
- Director: Cary Joji Fukunaga
- Starring: Abraham Attah, Idris Elba, & Emmanuel Nii Adom Quaye
Beasts of No Nation is about Agu (Attah), a young boy living in a small village in Africa. During a civil war in the area, his family is killed and Agu escapes to the forest by himself. There, he is discovered by a ruthless warlord (Elba) who trains him to become a child soldier.
Beasts of No Nation will leave you devastated. It is a bleak look at the reality of child soldiers in Africa. While the film is fiction, it is based on actual events and wars in Africa. This film is not for the faint of heart. When you check out movies from the Criterion Collection, you’re not going to just find happy-go-lucky films. They needed films like this that not only send a message but reference real issues.
Menace II Society – 1993
[Image via New Line Cinema]
- Director: Allen & Albert Hughes
- Starring: Tyrin Turner, Larenz Tate, Jada Pinkett Smith, & Samuel L. Jackson
Menace II Society doesn’t ease the audience into the film. The opening sequence depicts O-Dog (Tate) robbing a convenience store and killing the owner and his wife. Caine (Turner) witnesses the event and begins reflecting on his life leading up to that moment. The film is an in-your-face look at the violence perpetuated in disadvantaged communities.
Menace II Society is not a happy film. There are very few moments in the film where things take a turn for the better. When things seem better for Caine, they are almost immediately taken away from him. The film unblinkingly shows the audience just how horrific things can be for people in America. This is one thing to love about the Criterion Collection too. Movies like this need to be easily available for people to see and thanks to them, you can now see this great film.
Boyhood – 2014
[Image via IFC Films & Universal Pictures]
- Director: Richard Linklater
- Starring: Ellar Coltrane, Ethan Hawke, Patricia Arquette, & Lorelei Linklater
Boyhood tells the story of Mason (Coltrane) as he’s growing up in the early 2000s. His life is influenced by his mother’s (Arquette) rocky and abusive marriages. His father (Hawke) makes appearances in his upbringing, but only the bare minimum. It’s a look at the way kids from broken homes can turn out.
What sets Boyhood apart from any other coming-of-age story is the way that it was made. The film takes place over 12 real-world years, which is incredible when you think about it. Linklater would wait for Coltrane to age into the next part of the film and continued this process until the movie was finished.
In fact, Linklater had to make an educated guess regarding where tech in the industry was headed to know how to best shoot the movie. He guessed right, allowing us to see a proper picture throughout the movie.
Gimme Shelter – 1970
[Image via Rolling Stone]
- Directors: Albert Maysles, David Maysles, & Charlotte Zwerin
- Starring: The Rolling Stones
Gimme Shelter is a documentary about one of the worst organized concerts in history. A free concert was organized at the Altamont Speedway, featuring The Flying Burrito Brothers, Jefferson Airplane, and of course The Rolling Stones. The concert turns ugly quickly, as members of both the audience and the Hells Angels (who provided security for the event) are drinking and taking drugs.
Gimme Shelter doesn’t necessarily have a plot. Rather, the filmmakers followed The Rolling Stones and let the camera roll. What they recorded ended up being one of the most infamous live performances ever recorded. Indeed, the chaos of the evening led to one audience member’s death. However, to actually capture real chaos like this on film is something any documentarian would have gone nuts for.
The Fisher King – 1991
[Image via Tri-Star Pictures]
- Director: Terry Gilliam
- Starring: Jeff Bridges, Robin Williams, Mercedes Ruehl, & Amanda Plummer
The Fisher King is about a disgraced radio personality Jack Lucas (Bridges) finding redemption. When his inflammatory words on the radio directly lead to a mass shooting in New York City, Jack hits rock bottom. He meets an eccentric homeless man, Parry (Williams). Lucas becomes obsessed with helping Parry when he realizes that Parry himself is a victim of the shooting.
The Fisher King is deceptively hard-hitting. What appears to be a quirky buddy film from the early 90s is a film about finding grace in life after a tragedy. While Williams is known for his comedic work, he brings a devastating character to life in this film.
The Darjeeling Limited – 2007
[Image via Fox Searchlight Pictures]
- Director: Wes Anderson
- Starring: Jason Schwartzman, Owen Wilson, Adrien Brody, & Amara Karan
The Darjeeling Limited is about three brothers reconnecting the year after their father’s funeral. They meet in India and board a train on something of a spiritual journey. However, the oldest brother Francis (Wilson) reveals on the trip that they will be meeting their estranged mother in India.
While not his first film, The Darjeeling Limited is when we start to see Anderson discover his unique style of filmmaking. With a light-hearted setting and several cameos from various celebrities, it’s hard not to be charmed by this early Anderson film. It was truly a major success for him and led to his other award-winning work.
Eraserhead – 1977
[Image via American Film Institute]
- Director: David Lynch
- Starring: Jack Nance, Laurel Near, Judith Anna Roberts, & Charlotte Stewart
Eraserhead is a psychological thriller set in an industrial dystopia. Henry Spencer (Nance) learns that his girlfriend (Stewart) has had a child, and the two must marry and raise it together. The child is staggeringly deformed, which would freak out anyone. In hysterics from the sight of her child, the girlfriend leaves. This is when the movie starts getting crazy.
Eraserhead is almost more of an experience than a film. Lynch is known for his surrealist and convoluted plots, and Eraserhead is a shining example of his mastery of the genre. The film leaves you unsettled and asking questions. While the Criterion Collection has a lot of suspenseful movies, Eraserhead is so freakishly impressive that you really need to check it out.
RoboCop – 1987
[Image via Orion Pictures]
- Director: Paul Verhoeven
- Starring: Peter Weller, Nancy Allen, Kurtwood Smith, & Miguel Ferrer
RoboCop is a film about a resurrected police officer turned super-soldier. Set in a dystopian, futuristic Detroit, a megacorporation called Omni Consumer Products rebuilds a police officer (Weller) slain in the line of duty. Known as “RoboCop,” this officer of the law has a set of protocols and directives in his law enforcement style. This turns out to be a hindrance to him as the film goes on.
On the surface, RoboCop is a sci-fi action flick, much like Terminator or Aliens. However, the film is a cautionary tale. It is a warning about the pitfalls of privatizing law enforcement, and how corporate corruption often transcends the law. Not only that, but it also shows how even the most well-meaning people can fall into a terrible situation. How you respond to this when you realize what you’ve done is important.
Some Like It Hot – 1959
[Image via Mirisch Company & United Artists]
- Director: Billy Wilder
- Starring: Marilyn Monroe, Tony Curtis, & Jack Lemmon
Set in the Prohibition era, Some Like It Hot is about two jazz musicians who witness a murder committed by members of the mafia. To escape, the two disguise themselves as women and join an all-female band headed to Miami. It is in this group that the duo meets Sugar Kane (Monroe).
Things become complicated when the two begin competing for Kane’s love, while still in disguise.
By today’s standard, Some Like It Hot is a fairly tame and light-hearted comedy. However, the film was controversial when it was first released, as it depicts men dressing in drag. The film is considered one of the influences for Hollywood to replace the Hays Code, which was a code of censorship for movies at the time. Something Monroe took FULL advantage of following this movie’s release.
Hoop Dreams – 1994
[Image via Fine LineFeatures]
- Director: Steve James
- Starring: Arthur Agee, William Gates, & Bob Knight
Hoop Dreams follows two inner-city high school kids, Arthur Agee and William Gates. They have the same dream: to play basketball professionally and get out of the slums of Chicago. The two attend St. Joseph High School until Agee is kicked out when his family is unable to pay tuition.
Hoop Dreams is an example of commitment to the craft. James follows both Agee and Gates for all four years of high school, and even into their first few years of college. This documentary shows how drastically different lives can turn out when opportunities are given and taken away from young, talented kids. While the Criterion Collection has quite a few documentaries, very few are better than Hoop Dreams in our book.
Rosemary’s Baby – 1968
[Image via Paramount Global]
- Director: Roman Polanski
- Starring: Mia Farrow, John Cassavetes, Sharon Tate, & Ruth Gordon
Rosemary’s Baby is a psychological thriller set in New York City. Rosemary (Farrow) moves into a new apartment with her husband, aspiring actor Guy (Cassavetes). They meet their neighbors, an eccentric and mysterious old couple. Shortly after that, Rosemary becomes pregnant, although the pregnancy is far from normal.
To this day, Rosemary’s Baby is recognized as one of the best horror movies ever made. The horror does not come from the satan-worshippers in the film either. The true horror is the fact that Rosemary cannot trust anyone, even those she is closest to.
Being John Malkovich – 1999
[Image via Universal Pictures]
- Director: Spike Jonze
- Starring: John Cusack, John Malkovich, Catherine Keener, & Cameron Diaz
Being John Malkovich is about an out-of-work puppeteer named Craig Schwartz (Cusack). When he takes on a temp job, he discovers a portal hidden in his office. When he travels through the portal, he finds that he is looking through the eyes of actor John Malkovich. The movie is relatively iconic now, and quite hilarious.
Being John Malkovich was written by Charlie Kaufman, who is known for other surrealist comedies like I’m Thinking of Ending Things and Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind. Although he had written other pieces, Being John Malkovich was the start of Kaufman finding that unique style he’s known for today.
The Phantom Carriage – 1921
[Image via AB Svensk Filmindustri]
- Director: Victor Sjostrom
- Starring: Victor Sjostrom, Tore Svennberg, Astrid Holm, & Hilda Borgstrom
The Phantom Carriage is about a selfish and lewd vagabond named David Holm (Sjostrom). When he is nearly beaten to death on New Years Eve, he is visited by his deceased friend Georges (Svennberg), who is cursed to drive death’s carriage. Georges takes Holm to revisit his depraved life and see how he’s harmed others through his selfishness.
Although The Phantom Carriage is quite old, it is noted as being one of the most influential movies ever made. The film influenced temes in movies such as The Shining and The Amityville Horror.
Pan’s Labyrinth – 2006
[Image via Warner Bros. Pictures]
- Director: Guillermo del Toro
- Starring: Ivana Baquero, Doug Jones, Sergi Lopez, & Ariadna Gil
Pan’s Labyrinth takes place in 1944 Spain, a few years after The Spanish Civil War. A young girl named Ofelia (Baquero) moves into a mansion in the woods with her mother and stepfather. While exploring the property, she discovers a magical world intertwined with her own, and a labyrinth both physical and ethereal.
Pan’s Labyrinth won 3 of the 6 awards it was nominated for at the Academy Awards, namely Best Art Direction, Best Cinematography, and Best Makeup. Del Toro would go on to win Best Picture with his film The Shape of Water in 2018. The film excels at bringing mythical and grotesque creatures to life for the viewer.
Mullholland Drive – 2001
[Image via Universal Pictures]
- Director: David Lynch
- Starring: Naomi Watts, Laura Harring, Justin Theroux, & Ann Miller
Mullholland Drive is another surrealist film by David Lynch. Betty Elms (Watts) moves to Los Angeles and befriends a squatter in her apartment (Harring). The squatter has amnesia but calls herself Rita. Betty tries to help Rita rediscover her identity, but this soon spirals into madness.
Mullholland Drive forces the viewer to question reality. How much of the plot is truly happening? How much is in Betty’s head? What does the ending even mean? It’s a thinker of a movie, and that’s a very good thing. The Criterion Collection has several suspense films, but this is one of the best.
Fear And Loathing In Las Vegas – 1998
[Image via Universal Pictures]
- Director: Terry Gilliam
- Starring: Johnny Depp, Benicio del Toro, Tobey Maguire, & Christina Ricci
Fear and Loathing In Las Vegas dumps the viewer into the action immediately. Raoul Duke (Depp) and Dr. Gonzo (Del Toro) are driving to Las Vegas while high on mescaline. Duke hallucinates a giant swarm of bats attacking the duo. When they check into their hotel, he hallucinates that the patrons and staff are various reptiles.
Fear and Loathing In Las Vegas is one giant drug trip for the viewer. The chaotic and schizophrenic narration alone thrills the audience, although the plot itself is muggy. The film was a commercial failure but has since gone on to become a massive cult classic.
Fantastic Mr. Fox – 2009
[Image via 20th Century Fox Animation]
- Director: Wes Anderson
- Starring: George Clooney, Jason Schwartzman, Meryl Streep, & Bill Murray
Fantastic Mr. Fox is a stop-motion film about retired burglar Mr. Fox (Clooney). When his wife (Streep) asks him to settle down because of the impending birth of their son (Schwartzman). Two years later, Mr. Fox begins to steal from three nearby farms. The farmers band together to take down the fox, as well as his community.
Fantastic Mr. Fox is the film that brought Wes Anderson into the mainstream. The animated style of the film attracted younger viewers. The witty writing and clever plot are what attracted the older viewers. All in all, the film appeals to almost all viewers. Plus, the cast is filled with A-Listers throughout.
The Game – 1997
[Image via Propaganda Films & PolyGram Films]
- Director: David Fincher
- Starring: Michael Douglas, Sean Penn, Deborah Kara Unger, & Harris Savides
Simply called The Game, this film is a psychological mystery that follows Nicholas van Orton (Douglas). On his 48th birthday, his younger brother (Penn) gives him a voucher to participate in a game offered by a mysterious company. When Nicholas decides to participate, his very perception of reality comes into question.
The Game is one of those few films that can throw in plot twist after plot twist without forcing the plot. Not only is Nicholas questioning reality. The viewer questioned it as well. No one really knows how it will end, keeping you on the edge of your seat the entire time.
The Breakfast Club – 1985
[Image via Universal Pictures]
- Director: John Hughes
- Starring: Molly Ringwald, Judd Nelson, Anthony Michael Hall, Ally Sheedy, & Emilio Estevez
The Breakfast Club tells the story of five high schoolers stuck in detention on a Saturday morning. They are left alone with an essay to write in the library. These five strangers become the unlikeliest of friends as they discover the vulnerabilities of each other.
The Breakfast Club appears to be your run-of-the-mill 80s comedy. John Hughes was known for lighthearted comedies like Ferris Bueller’s Day Off and Uncle Buck. However, The Breakfast Club proves to be a wonderfully deep and vulnerable piece of cinema, while remaining to stay that Hughes lightheartedness. Today, the film is truly iconic and one of the best Hughes ever put together.
Monty Python’s Life Of Brian – 1979
[Image via HandMade Films & Python (Monty) Pictures]
- Director: Terry Jones
- Starring: Terry Jones, Eric Idle, John Cleese, Graham Chapman
Monty Python’s Life of Brian is about the life and times of Brian Cohen (Chapman) in Roman-occupied Judea. During his life, he is mistaken for the Messiah. This eventually leads to his crucifixion by the Roman empire. The Monty Python group was known for making compelling satire movies about history or other films before it was a mainstream concept.
Monty Python is better known for the film Monty Python and the Holy Grail. Yet Life of Brian is another example of the group’s wit and comedic timing. While the film may be considered a bit sacrilegious, it’s a clever film that people should watch at least once.
The Princess Bride – 1987
[Image via 20th Century Fox]
- Director: Rob Reiner
- Starring: Cary Elwes, Robin Wright, Mandy Patinkin, & Andre the Giant
The Princess Bride is a fairytale about Buttercup (Wright) and Westley (Elwes). The two fall in love, but when Westley is presumed dead at sea, she becomes betrothed to Prince Humperdink. The ensuing film is about Wesltey rescuing Buttercup from this marriage. It appears to be a silly kids’ movie, but The Princess Bride is one of the wittiest films ever made.
The film was added to the Library of Congress in 2016 because it was deemed so important to preserve. Anyone and everyone should see this movie. It isn’t just the writing that makes it so good, but the acting overall from the entire cast. Even the iconic Andre the Giant proved to be amazing in this film! When you check this movie out on the Criterion Collection streaming service or somewhere else, you need to see it.
Raging Bull – 1980
[Image via United Artists Corporation]
- Director: Martin Scorsese
- Starring: Robert De Niro, Joe Pesci, & Theresa Saldana
Raging Bull is the biographical story of boxer Jake LaMotta (De Niro). The movie not only follows his success as a boxer but his seedy personal life as well. We follow the entirety of LaMotta’s rise and fall from fame, as well as the beginnings and ends of his marriage.
Raging Bull was a commercial flop, but the film earned 8 Oscar nominations and won two. The film features excellent acting from the entire cast. De Niro even won Best Actor in a Leading Role (for the second time) for his portrayal of LaMotta. While it did bomb in theaters, it has since become a cult classic and is considered one of De Niro’s best performances. This is likely why it is part of the Criterion Collection while other famous De Niro films did not exactly make the cut.
The Elephant Man – 1980
[Image via Paramount Global]
- Director: David Lynch
- Starring: John Hurt, Anthony Hopkins, & Anne Bancroft
The Elephant Man follows Frederick Treves (Hopkins) and his relationship with John Merrick (Hurt). This biographical account starts with Frederick discovering John in an English Slum, where he is kept like a circus attraction. Frederick rescues John from the slum, but John’s physical deformities prevent him from leading a normal life.
The Elephant Man is arguably Lynch’s most accessible movie. The plot is straightforward, and there are very few surrealist moments. The film was also received the best by critics, and to this day is an enjoyable and interesting watch. Best of all, it is actually based on a real person. Which is kind of sad when you think about it. The Criterion Collection has a lot of uplifting, funny, suspenseful movies. However, they also have movies like this that make you think about life itself.
Midnight Cowboy – 1969
[Image via United Artists Corporation]
- Director: John Schlesinger
- Starring: Jon Voight, Dustin Hoffman, & Sylvia Miles
Midnight Cowboy is the story of Joe Buck (Voight), a young Texan who moves to New York to become a male prostitute. He is not successful and even delves into same-sex prostitution to try to make ends meet. He moves in with a con man (Hoffman), but Joe is still haunted by his past in Texas.
Midnight Cowboy is the only X-rated (now NC-17) film to win the Oscar for Best Picture and was nominated for another 6 Oscars. The film was also inducted into the Library of Congress in 1994 for its cultural significance. Plus, in spite of its rating, the movie is now part of the Criterion Collection for you to check out whenever you’d like.
It is also the film that gave rise to the infamous “I’m walkin’ here” line, spoken by Hoffman.
My Dinner With Andre – 1981
[Image via New Yorker Films]
- Director: Louis Malle
- Starring: Wallace Shawn & Andre Gregory
My Dinner with Andre is the story of Wallace Shawn and Andre Gregory meeting for dinner after several years out of contact. While Shawn is reluctantly going to this dinner, it ends up being an experience he will remember for the rest of his life. The dinner conversation goes from the mundane to existential, bringing into question what it means to truly exist.
The film is essentially a single scene: the dinner. Although the movie is just two friends having a conversation, the audience will become engrossed in the dialogue. The ideas presented in the film will leave viewers questioning their perception of the world. This is likely why the Criterion Collection wanted it to be part of their movie listing, it is truly special.
The Grand Budapest Hotel – 2014
[Image via Fox Searchlight Pictures]
- Director: Wes Anderson
- Starring: Ralph Fiennes & Tony Revolori
The Grand Budapest Hotel follows Zero (Revolori) as he apprentices M. Gustave (Fiennes) as the concierge of the Grand Budapest Hotel. During Zero’s tenure, M. Gustave is framed for the murder of a wealthy widow. The two work together to clear Gustave’s name, as well as to find a priceless painting that the widow left to him.
The Grand Budapest Hotel is arguably Anderson’s greatest film. It received 9 Oscar nominations and 4 wins. It is also Anderson’s highest-rated film on both IMDb and Rotten Tomatoes.
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