Welcome to the sixth annual Criterion Challenge, hosted by Ben and featuring his original list, where we celebrate The Criterion Collection!
Started: 1/1/26
Watched: 17/52
Completed: 32%
Finished:
Ranking đź“Š
There are 52 categories. The goal is to watch any Criterion released film based on the categories below between 1/1/26-12/31/26. The choices can be any films released by Criterion on 4K, Blu-ray, DVD, VHS, Laserdisc, or ones that have been featured on The Criterion Channel streaming service. The films can be watched daily, weekly, or monthly, and in any order. Watch them at your own pace, but remember you have to finish by 12/31/26.
In my second participation here, I'll try to ensure that all the films are first-time watches,…
Welcome to the sixth annual Criterion Challenge, hosted by Ben and featuring his original list, where we celebrate The Criterion Collection!
Started: 1/1/26
Watched: 17/52
Completed: 32%
Finished:
Ranking đź“Š
There are 52 categories. The goal is to watch any Criterion released film based on the categories below between 1/1/26-12/31/26. The choices can be any films released by Criterion on 4K, Blu-ray, DVD, VHS, Laserdisc, or ones that have been featured on The Criterion Channel streaming service. The films can be watched daily, weekly, or monthly, and in any order. Watch them at your own pace, but remember you have to finish by 12/31/26.
In my second participation here, I'll try to ensure that all the films are first-time watches, except for two or three, but this is subject to change if they are difficult to access.
Don't forget to visit The Criterion Collection for all your film needs, and they have a pretty sweet streaming service for endless options to choose from when you're struggling to find things to watch.
Now, the most important…
Categories and my picks:
1. 20th Anniversary Releases - Dazed and Confused
2. Watch a film not on your watchlist - 喋血雙雄 | The Killer
3. Watch a film with a color in the title - Blue Velvet
4. 2020s or an upcoming release - Affeksjonsverdi | Sentimental Value
5. Romance - Read My Lips
6. The Twenty Least Watched Films - The Inland Sea
7. Queer Cinema - Beginners
8. 1930s - City Lights
9. 1990s - Night on Earth
10. Random Number Generator (Set values from 1 to whatever number Criterion has listed last here. This number will change as more releases are announced so please keep up to date by using the link I have provided as I will not be updating each time Criterion makes announcements. Watch whatever film corresponds to the spine number you are given.) - Naqoyqatsi #642
11. King Princess’s Top 10 - To Die For
12. Judge a film by its cover - Watch a film whose cover art caught your eye - Breathless
13. Song and Dance - The Umbrellas of Cherbourg
14. 2000s - Before Sunset
15. Director Approved - Punch-Drunk Love
16. Seth Rogen and Evan Goldberg’s Closet Picks - The Daytrippers
17. Prequel/Sequel/Remake/Reimagining - Before Midnight
18. 1980s - sex, lies, and videotape
19. Watch a film that starts with the first letter of your name - All That Jazz
20. Kathryn Bigelow’s Closet Picks - Straw Dogs
21. 1940s - The Red Shoes
22. Watch a film rated 2.0-2.9 stars - A Master Builder
23. Pick any category from a past Criterion Challenge year - Watch a film from the year you were born - Jacquot de Nantes
24. 1001 Movies You Must See Before You Die - Pierrot le Fou
25. “Good For Her” Cinematic Universe - The Young Girls of Rochefort
26. Guy Maddin’s Top 10 - Forbidden Games
27. 1960s - Cléo from 5 to 7
28. Directed by Satyajit Ray - নায়ক | The Hero
29. Watch a film from any box set release - The Grand Budapest Hotel
30. Black Lives - In the Heat of the Night
31. Watch a film rated 3.7 stars - Young Törless
32. Elle Fanning’s Closet Picks - The Virgin Suicides
33. War - Come and See
34. 2010s - Minding the Gap
35. 1950s - All That Heaven Allows
36. Glorious Restorations - A Brighter Summer Day
37. Must see Criterion released films as featured on Danny Peary’s “Guide for the Film Fanatic” (1986) - Fast Times at Ridgemont High
38. Random Letter Generator - Watch a film that starts with the letter randomly generated - Quadrophenia #Q
39. The Best Movies of the 21st Century - Boyhood
40. Directed by Mira Nair - Mississippi Masala
41. Spine #701-750 - La dolce vita
42. 1970s - Harold and Maude
43. Letterboxd Top 250 - A Woman Under the Influence
44. Watch a film you haven’t seen that someone else watched as part of last year’s challenge - Smooth Talk
45. Novels on the Big Screen - Crash
46. Random Year Generator - Set values from 1915 to 2024 and watch a film from whatever year is randomly generated - Frances Ha #2012
47. Women Directors: The Official Top 250 Narrative Feature Films - Fish Tank
48. David Byrne’s Closet Picks - PlayTime
49. Criterion Double Features: Film #1 - The Fast Lane
Film #1 - Faster, Faster
50. Criterion Double Features: Film #2 - The Fast Lane
Film #2 - Y Tu Mamá También
51. 1920s - Safety Last!
52. Watch any Criterion film from your watchlist - The Last Days of Disco
Helpful Links:
The Complete Criterion Collection
The Criterion Collection by Spine Number
Every Film Available on The Criterion Channel
Please use the tags "cc2026" and “criterion challenge 2026” so that we can keep track of everything, and link your lists in the comments below. Have fun!
