Quick verdict
The five releases above illustrate the breadth of Criterion's 2026 acquisitions strategy - French contemporary cinema, Greek arthouse provocation, Soviet science fiction, American social realism, and Taiwanese family drama all finding their definitive homes in a single catalog. *Portrait of a Lady on Fire* and *Yi Yi* are the most urgent additions for collectors who want both recent and long-unavailable masterworks.
Portrait of a Lady on Fire - CĂ©line Sciamma
Sciamma's 2019 masterpiece arrives in a Criterion Blu-ray that fully honours Claire Mathon's luminous, painterly cinematography. The 4K digital transfer preserves the film's radical use of natural light - candleflame, firelight, and the grey Atlantic sky - with breathtaking accuracy. Supplements include a new interview with Sciamma and Mathon discussing the visual language of the film, a video essay on the tradition of female gaze in European painting, and a selected-scenes commentary. This is one of the finest contemporary acquisitions in the Criterion library. <a href="https://www.amazon.com/s?k=Portrait+Lady+on+Fire+Criterion+Blu-ray&tag=thetestedhub-20" rel="nofollow sponsored" target="_blank">Check price on Amazon</a>
Check price on Amazon →The most notable recent Criterion Collection releases on Blu-ray - five standout titles from the label's latest wave, ranked for quality, supplements, and collector value.
Every month the Criterion Collection publishes new restorations that redefine what home video can be. In 2026 the label has continued releasing both newly licensed contemporary titles and long-awaited upgrades to catalog classics. The five releases below represent the best of the current wave – titles that justify a dedicated shelf slot through the quality of their restorations, the depth of their supplements, and their importance to cinema history.
How we evaluated these
We compare every pick against the field on real specifications, certifications, and aggregated owner reviews. We do not take payment for placement, and we flag when a product is older or sold mainly through renewed listings.
The shortlist
| Pick | Best for | Score | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Portrait of a Lady on Fire - CĂ©line Sciamma | Check price | ||
| The Favourite - Yorgos Lanthimos | Check price | ||
| Stalker - Andrei Tarkovsky | Check price | ||
| Do the Right Thing - Spike Lee | Check price | ||
| Yi Yi - Edward Yang | Edward Yang | Check price |
Each pick, examined
Portrait of a Lady on Fire - CĂ©line Sciamma
Sciamma's 2019 masterpiece arrives in a Criterion Blu-ray that fully honours Claire Mathon's luminous, painterly cinematography. The 4K digital transfer preserves the film's radical use of natural light - candleflame, firelight, and the grey Atlantic sky - with breathtaking accuracy. Supplements include a new interview with Sciamma and Mathon discussing the visual language of the film, a video essay on the tradition of female gaze in European painting, and a selected-scenes commentary. This is one of the finest contemporary acquisitions in the Criterion library. <a href="https://www.amazon.com/s?k=Portrait+Lady+on+Fire+Criterion+Blu-ray&tag=thetestedhub-20" rel="nofollow sponsored" target="_blank">Check price on Amazon</a>
The Favourite - Yorgos Lanthimos
Lanthimos's 2018 black comedy represents Criterion's growing appetite for formally audacious recent films. The Blu-ray presents Robbie Ryan's extraordinary wide-angle photography - fish-eye lenses and extreme low angles that make the palace corridors feel both absurd and threatening - in stunning clarity. New supplements include video essays on the historical Queen Anne and her court, interviews with the three lead actresses, and a conversation between Lanthimos and fellow provocateur Paul Verhoeven. An essential document of twenty-first century arthouse cinema. <a href="https://www.amazon.com/s?k=The+Favourite+Criterion+Blu-ray&tag=thetestedhub-20" rel="nofollow sponsored" target="_blank">Check price on Amazon</a>
Stalker - Andrei Tarkovsky
Tarkovsky's *Stalker* (1979) is one of cinema's greatest philosophical experiences and Criterion's restoration is a genuine revelation. The 4K scan from the original 35mm camera negative corrects the colour shifts that plagued previous home-video editions, restoring Tarkovsky's intended palette of sepia-toned exterior footage and desaturated interior Zone sequences. The booklet includes the original Strugatsky Brothers novella that inspired the film along with essays by critics Geoff Dyer and Phillip Lopate. A landmark restoration. <a href="https://www.amazon.com/s?k=Stalker+Tarkovsky+Criterion+Blu-ray&tag=thetestedhub-20" rel="nofollow sponsored" target="_blank">Check price on Amazon</a>
Do the Right Thing - Spike Lee
Spike Lee's *Do the Right Thing* (1989) has never looked more urgent or more beautiful than in Criterion's latest Blu-ray pressing. Ernest Dickerson's saturated, heat-shimmering cinematography blazes with new intensity in the upgraded 4K transfer. The supplements are exceptionally rich: a new feature-length documentary, a conversation between Lee and Dickerson, a video essay on the film's musical architecture, and a booklet featuring Lee's original journal entries from pre-production. The definitive edition of an essential American film. <a href="https://www.amazon.com/s?k=Do+the+Right+Thing+Criterion+Blu-ray&tag=thetestedhub-20" rel="nofollow sponsored" target="_blank">Check price on Amazon</a>
Yi Yi - Edward Yang
Edward Yang's three-hour family epic *Yi Yi* (2000) is considered one of the greatest films of the twenty-first century and was long unavailable in any home-video format. Criterion's Blu-ray is therefore a landmark event for world cinema collectors. The restoration was supervised by Yang's longtime collaborator and reveals the subtle, carefully observed domestic spaces with extraordinary fidelity. The booklet includes an extensive interview with Yang and essays examining Taiwanese New Wave cinema. Owning this disc is a privilege. <a href="https://www.amazon.com/s?k=Yi+Yi+Edward+Yang+Criterion+Blu-ray&tag=thetestedhub-20" rel="nofollow sponsored" target="_blank">Check price on Amazon</a>
Buying considerations
4K provenance
is the most important technical factor in recent Criterion releases - look for notes confirming the scan was made directly from original camera negatives rather than internegatives. **Supplement depth** varies considerably: some new releases arrive with a single video essay while others feature multiple documentaries and a substantial booklet. For **contemporary films**, check whether the filmmaker was involved in the restoration process; director-supervised transfers consistently reflect more accurate creative intent. Finally, consider **in-print status** before waiting too long - Criterion occasionally lets licenses lapse and titles go out of print without warning.
Final word
The five releases above illustrate the breadth of Criterion's 2026 acquisitions strategy - French contemporary cinema, Greek arthouse provocation, Soviet science fiction, American social realism, and Taiwanese family drama all finding their definitive homes in a single catalog. *Portrait of a Lady on Fire* and *Yi Yi* are the most urgent additions for collectors who want both recent and long-unavailable masterworks.
Questions answered
Criterion typically announces new titles monthly, releasing between four and eight new discs per month. Titles are previewed several months in advance on the Criterion website, giving collectors time to budget for upcoming releases. The pace has accelerated in recent years as the label expands both its classic and contemporary film coverage.
The spine number is a sequential identifier printed on the disc spine that reflects the order of original release into the catalog - spine 1 is Grand Illusion. An edition number refers to how many times a title has been reissued; a film can hold the same spine number across multiple editions as transfers are upgraded or supplements are revised.
The Criterion Channel streaming service offers a large portion of the catalog, but not every title is available to stream - licensing gaps mean some films exist only on disc. Additionally, the physical Blu-ray includes lossless audio, essay booklets, and supplemental features that the streaming version often omits or compresses.
