The Criterion Collection is a home distribution company which licenses, restores, and distributes "important classic and contemporary films". The Criterion Collection is considered one of the leading boutique Blu-ray labels, and release through the company is seen as "a mark of prestige for filmmakers",July, Beandrea. "Six Years After a Reckoning, Criterion Puts 'Cinematic Blackness' in Focus". New York Times. Published July 22, 2026. Accessed July 30, 2026. with filmmaker John Waters stating that a film being released by the company is "like getting a plenary indulgence from the Pope".Williams, Conor. "John Waters Is ‘Officially Good’". Los Angeles Review of Books. Published July 11, 2026. Accessed July 30, 2026. While the Criterion Collection began releasing films originally on LaserDisc and VHS, it switched to DVD (and eventually Blu-Ray) in 1998.DiCosimo, AJ. "7 Facts About The Criterion Collection". Mental Floss. Published July 15, 2026. Accessed August 7, 2026.
In 2019, the Criterion Collection launched Criterion Channel, a streaming service featuring films not officially released by the collection on physical media and not considered part of the collection.Colangelo, BJ. "The Real Purpose Of The Criterion Collection, Actually Explained". Slash Film. Published January 24, 2025. accessed August 1, 2026. Likewise, films released by Janus Films, the Criterion Collection's parent company, on physical media are not considered part of the collection.Tallerico, Brian. "Criterion Launches Excellent Janus Contemporaries Series". Roger Ebert. Published October 26, 2023. Accessed August 2, 2026."Criterion Presents Janus Contemporaries". The Criterion Collection. Published May 11, 2023. Accessed August 1, 2026. The collection contains films from fifty-nine different countries, as well as several television miniseries.
List of individually-released films Films released by the Criterion Collection are designated a "spine number" to denote the order of their release. Beginning with the release of films on DVD, the company restarted their spine numbering,"Criterion Collection and the Spine Number". The Films in My Life (On Criterion). Published November 16, 2015. Accessed August 7, 2026. with the first DVD release being designated the first spine number. In consequence, several films released only on LaserDisc have the same spine number as an unrelated film released on DVD. A film released individually that is later re-released as part of box sets retain the same spine number. The film's country of origin is based on the Criterion Collection's designation. Films released on both DVD and Blu-ray are designated the same spine number by the Criterion Collection, hence this list uses the spine number of DVD releases unless otherwise noted for all films.