Ah, the box set. There really is no better way to either collect a whole swath of work from a favorite musician or TV/film series or to make a deep dive introduction to something new. These collections have been around for a long time and could arguably be considered one of the foundations for the “binge-watching” phenomenon that has sprung up with the advent of streaming. But, unlike binge-watching via digital means, the box set is a physical medium with a tangibility and collectibility that you just can’t get out of streaming. Another benefit of a box set is that you don’t have to dedicate your immediate time to experiencing them, you can return to the set at your leisure.

To be worthwhile, a box set should be a compelling collection of work, and it should be A/V enhanced, in essence restoring and updating a song or movie in step with technological and entertainment advancements. And while 4K visuals and those beyond are becoming the norm, slowly, Blu-Ray’s are still quite effective in how they’ve managed to take old films and improve them visually and audially for newer devices that are more than capable of Blu-Ray playback, with some of even capable of 4K playback.

If you want the best rendition of a favorite movie, then a Blu-ray collection is what you’re looking for — and we think it's worth keeping a Blu-ray player around for, without a doubt. While there are many Blu-ray box sets available, those from The Criterion Collection stand out from the others. Read on to learn about The Criterion Collection and the best Blu-ray collections they have to offer. Criterion is a home video company that restores and distributes films. In Criterion’s own words, “The Criterion Collection is a continuing series of important classic and contemporary films on home video.” There’s an unfortunate perception that movies in the Criterion lineup are snobby, but their selections truly run the gamut of filmdom from Hollywood blockbusters and independent films all the way to horror “B” films and obscure titles. The only criterion for a Criterion Collection film is that the film is an exemplary film of its kind.

The box set itself, as a Blu-Ray release, is very careful and detail-attentive in its sprucing-up of these cinematic classes. With crisper visuals and some clearer audio, the movies feel as they were meant to be felt. Often, they feel more visceral than their theater, VHS, and DVD counterparts, which works for movies like Psycho which hold up better in this format thanks to improved presentation.

Perhaps the most notable element of Alfred Hitchcock: The Masterpiece Collection is its sticker price. With 15 films, the collection is quite the steal, and combined with bonus content and commentary, Hitchcock fans and casuals alike will find something to enjoy with Alfred Hitchcock: The Masterpiece Collection.

The only real complaint one might make about this collection is that some of the films are more memorable than others. Of course, that would include movies like Psycho, Rear Window, and The Man Who Knew Too Much, which supersede some of the other films included in the collection.

At a budget-friendly price and comprised of 15 classic films sharpened for the new era, you can’t beat this Alfred Hitchcock movie collection.

The BBS Story is essentially a collage-esque documentary development, success, and failure of BBS Productions. Formed by Bob Rafelson, Bert Schneider, and Steve Blauner from their successful and profitable invention of the TV pop group The Monkees, BBS Productions set out to cultivate new talent and new ideas for Hollywood. BBS Productions produced films that were reflective of the anti-establishment, disillusionment and unabated self-discovery of the turbulent '60s and early '70s. The included films, Head, Easy Rider, Five Easy Pieces, Drive He Said, A Safe Place, The Last Picture Show, and The King of Marvin Gardens are expose-type works on the counter-culture of the time. And just like the movements, when they accomplished what they set out to do, BBS faded into history. The films are brilliantly HD-restored and the supplemental material provides a good introduction to and insight not only on the time but BBS Productions as well. America Lost and Found: The BBS Story is a history lesson and one of the best Blu-ray sets from the Criterion Collection.

Wong Kar Wai is an internationally renowned Hong Kong filmmaker noted for producing films that are noted as having atmospheric music, nonlinear narratives, and striking cinematography presented in bold, saturated colors. The seven films included in this seven-disc collection are: As Tears Go By (1988), Days of Being Wild (1990), Chungking Express (1994), Fallen Angels (1995), Happy Together (1997), In the Mood for Love (2000), and 2046 (2004). Though technically not sequels, each film bears so much of Wong Kar Wai’s style that they all seem emotionally and artistically connected. These films don’t so much tell a story as show it in visually and emotionally unforgettable ways. The 4K restoration wonderfully enhances, even more, the already stunning color palette that is indicative of Wong Kar Wai’s films. The beauty of Wong Kar Wai’s work is reflected in the stylish and beautiful French-fold book with essays, and collectible art prints, among many more special features.

Beautiful is the best, yet a seemingly inadequate term that can be used to describe not only the films in the Blu-ray Criterion Collection set World of Wong Kar Wai but also the package itself. It is a tremendous homage and introduction to one of the most highly regarded contemporary filmmakers that are not Hollywood regulars.

Melvin Van Peeples may not be a household name in cinema, but his influence is. Van Peebles’ films ushered in the “Blaxploitation” film era and forever changed the perception black films could have on culture and the box office. Blaxploitation in Van Peebles films is not the stereotypical cinema trope, but instead a celebration of the obdurate black protagonist in the real world. His films rewrote the narratives on black life in America as absolutely attested to by the works included in this set Don’t Play Us Cheap, Sweet Sweetback’s Baadasssss Song, The Story of a Three Day , Watermelon Man, and Don’t Play Us Cheap. The films are beautifully 4K-restored and special features include audio commentaries and interviews as well as Baadasssss!, a 2003 fictional feature film based on director Melvin Van Peebles’s diaries from the making of Sweet Sweetback’s Baadasssss Song.

The Blu-ray set Melvin Van Peebles: Essential Films is one of the best from the Criterion Collection because these are not only important films by Melvin Van Peebles, but they are also essential American films.

This three-film set includes Buñuel’s final films: The Discreet Charm of the Bourgeoisie, The Phantom of Liberty, and That Obscure Object of Desire. Though not interconnected sequels, the films represent Buñuel’s surrealistic slant, if not scathing attacks on class pretension, moral hypocrisy, and the status quo, among other societal indiscretions. The digital restoration adds a warmness to the films’ A/V presentation which enhances the comedic and yet at times horrific undertones of Buñuel’s surrealism. Special features include documentaries on the films, interviews with screenwriters and actors, and more.

Three Films by Luis Buñuel is an HD-restored surrealistic study of the absurd. It is the type of collection that could go unnoticed but is thankfully presented as one of the best Blu-ray Criterion Collection sets.

Zatoichi is a 25-film collection chronicling the travels and adventures of an itinerant blind, gambling masseur (Ichi) who also happens to be a skilled swordsman. All of the films in this 1962-1973 set follow the same template with Zatoichi helping the oppressed all the while facing his own demons. What is special about Zatoichi is that the films feature not only fantastic samurai sword action, there is also wonderful character development, particularly with the titular character being played by one actor, Shintaro Katsu, in every film. What is wonderful about this collection is that Criterion is presenting the entire franchise (save for Zatoichi: Darkness Is His Ally from 1989), not just a few films from the series. The set includes 9 discs in a hardcover slipcover booklet featuring art inspired by each film among other special features introducing and detailing not only the character but also the actor who played him. The Blu-ray restoration is visually and audibly beautiful and richly detailed.

There may be longer-running film series, but not many of them can boast the same actor in the title role for each and every film. The continuity of character and impactful filmmaking set the Zatoichi films as one of the best under-the-radar film franchises. The Zatoichi: The Blind Swordsman Blu-ray collection from Criterion is a set not to be missed.

Godzilla, the Showa-Era Films contains 15 HD-restored movies on 7 discs with the likes of the original Godzilla, Invasion of Astro-Monster, Destroy All Monsters, Godzilla vs. King Kong, and many more. The set is presented in a display-worthy hardcover book-like package that holds the discs and is decorated in wonderfully fun Godzilla art. Special features include audio commentaries and featurettes on the unforgettable, if not at times silly special effects in the films. These Godzilla movies are the type of flicks you watch for larger-than-life fun that hearkens to the kid in all of us. The set is an excellent homage to one of the greats movie monsters of all time.

Some can view that Godzilla is not a worthy subject for a film collection, but I would argue otherwise. Godzilla and its ever-evolving franchise that has repeatedly proven its staying power through fun and spectacle. Any such cinematic stalwart is absolutely deserving of the collection treatment and this Criterion Collection Blu-ray set is one of the best. Godzilla! Nuf said.

Bruce Lee: His Greatest Hits is a seven-disc set featuring the five films of Lee’s cinematic and martial arts mastery, The Big Boss (1971), Fists of Fury (1972), The Way of the Dragon (1972), Enter the Dragon (1973), and Game of Death (1978). An excellent feature of the set is a documentary-like intro to each movie providing an engaging setup with contextual and historical nuggets on the film to come. The HD restorations in Blu-ray are phenomenal with eye-popping clarity and sharpness impossibly making Bruce Lee appear even faster in action-packed martial arts sequences. Special features also include the 1981 sequel, Game of Death II (made after Lee’s death in 1973), audio commentaries, and interviews.

The Blu-ray Criterion Collection set Bruce Lee: His Greatest Hits is much more than a film collection, it is a magnum opus to the legacy of one of the greatest martial arts actors and cultural icons in history. This is one of the best in the Blu-ray Criterion Collection set lineup because it is a delight for fans of Bruce Lee, established and new alike.

Yojimbo & Sanjuro is a 2-disc set featuring Kurosawa films Yojimbo and its sequel Sanjuro. Yojimbo is the story of a crafty Ronin, Sanjuro pitting two warring clans against each other. The plot and character have been portrayed before, albeit unauthorized, in the movie A Fistful of Dollars. The character Sanjuro and his escapades are repeated in the sequel Sanjuro where he aids a group of young warriors weed out evil in their clan. Both movies are masterworks in storytelling, action, and visualization. The most impressive aspect of each film is how Sanjuro is portrayed by legendary actor Toshiro Mifume who transforms Sanjuro into one of the most indelible characters ever portrayed in movies. The collection also includes high-definition restoration, audio commentaries, documentaries on the making of both films, and much more.

The Blu-ray Criterion Collection set Yojimbo & Sanjuro is not only a great two-disc set of two iconic films, but it is also an homage to excellent movie-making and characterizations. Yojimbo & Sanjuro is a jewel in the Kurosawa oeuvre excellently presented in Blu-ray by the Criterion Collection.

Ingmar Bergman’s Cinema is a massive collection of 39 Bergman films that showcase the filmmaker’s particular penchant for the depiction of human vulnerability, dysfunctional families, and loneliness in his uniquely personal way. Bergman films are art-house renditions about the soul and the psyche and the struggles we all face. The collection includes well-known works like The Seventh Seal (1957), Through a Glass Darkly (1961), and Persona (1966), but there are rarer additions like The Devil’s Eye (1960) and The Rite (1969). This Bergman library is a fitting presented in the set as a film festival with opening and closing nights flanking double features and centerpieces. Special features include a 248-page book with essays on the program and hours of supplemental features.

More than a collection of films, The Blu-ray Criterion Collection set Ingmar Bergman’s Cinema is a library dedicated to one of the most highly regarded filmmakers in the 20th century who took film and turned it into an art form. There is no better avenue to become familiar with and appreciate the extensive work of such an important filmmaker.

The three films included in the set are Cronos (1993, del Toro’s first feature-length film), The Devil’s Backbone (2001), and Pan’s Labyrinth (2006). The three films are linked by the del Toro artistry of depicting an amalgam of reality with the fantastic as a gothic-infused backdrop for such themes as childhood in troubled times, loss, and innocence. These are the types of films that benefit from digital mastering, and it shows in how beautifully they are presented on Blu-ray. Along with the films, you get a ton of special features including audio commentaries, a 100-page book with introductions, essays, production notes, and sketches, among many others. The supplemental material is so tightly tailored to del Toro’s vision for these films that this set feels quite personal.

Trilogía de Guillermo del Toro is a movie collection that is the epitome of why any such collections exist. It is indeed one of the best Blu-ray sets from the Criterion Collection.

What Makes a Film "Criterion"?

Films in The Criterion Collection are given the “Criterion treatment” which includes restoration, supplemental material, and even packaging all intended to deepen a viewer’s understanding and appreciation of the film. Along with individual films with the Criterion treatment, The Criterion Collection also offers box sets. The Criterion Collection box sets represent curated collections of films from particular filmmakers, actors, genres, and more. With each film enhanced by the Criterion treatment, a box set from this collection is an entertaining, informative, and fully engrossing experience for cinephiles or anyone wanting an introduction to an unfamiliar aspect of the feature-film universe.

A good example of this would be, for instance, Alfred Hitchcock: The Masterpiece Collection—a collection of films that perfectly exemplify the works of Alfred Hitchcock. From Psycho to Rear Window, this collection in particular is a fantastic introduction to one of the best and most influential directors of all-time. Any Blu-Ray device owner would be remiss without this collection somewhere in their own personal library of Criterion collections.

While box sets in the Criterion Collection, like the individual films, come in DVD and Blu-ray format, it is the Blu-ray versions that fully exemplify what Criterion is all about. Blu-ray encoding offers the benefits of HD resolution, enhance audio, and interactivity making for an even more impressive immersive experience when viewing films that already stand out on their original merits. That Blu-ray goodness combined with clever packaging and supplemental material makes the Blu-ray Criterion Collection set a truly unique cinematic experience.

Some Guidance for Choosing the Best Criterion Collection Sets

Considering the uniqueness of the selections for the Blu-ray Criterion Collection sets, it can be somewhat difficult in choosing which one to opt for. To help in your foray into the world of enhanced, packaged cinema, we’ve put together a listing of the best Blu-ray Criterion Collection sets. Whatever your movie preference or interest, there is most certainly something for you in the Criterion Collection.

FAQ

Q: How much is the average Criterion collection?

This one truly depends. While some collections are on the relatively inexpensive, such as Alfred Hitchcock: The Masterpiece Collection with its 15 films, others will be found to be far more expensive with fewer films.

Q: Are non-Criterion collections just as good?

Sometimes, you may find the quality of the video and audio to be indistinguishable between Blu-Ray Criterion collections and non-Criterion-branded collections. However, there is often bonus content included in Criterion collections that is exclusive to it.

Q: What is the difference between Criterion collections and regular Blu-Ray collections?

Criterion collections appear nearly identical to regular Blu-Ray collections from the outset, merely including all entries of a particular franchise or director’s work. However, Criterion’s claim to fame is the care it applies to its technical enhancements of movies to fit the Blu-Ray, 4K, etc. formats.

Q: Are Criterion Blu-Rays 4K?

Criterion Blu-Rays, at times, are 4K, especially given that 4K is becoming the dominant visual standard for physical releases. However, some Criterion collections still come in 2K.

Q: Can Criterion movies be obtained elsewhere?

Yes, movies in Criterion Collections can absolutely be purchased separately. Sometimes, they are even released in separate Criterion Collections down the road.