Criterion Crazy: March 2026 Releases
Written by Andreas Babiolakis
While we are weeks away from finally wrapping up 2025, the Criterion Collection is already three months into 2026 with a lineup of mainly quieter, niche films that are begging to be discovered (outside of one particular wallop of an announcement, of course). This is a month where you aren’t necessarily impulse-buying everything. You can take a step back, weigh your options, and see if there might be a new film to add to your collection that you simply never had on your radar (two of the following films have won the Palme d’Or at the Cannes Film Festival, which is nothing to sneeze at, believe me). I hope this article can help with that selection process; you really cannot go wrong with what I would consider a rather deceptively strong slate of films (I think some of these titles are going to cause much discussion if they haven’t already). Of course, there is one main reason to get excited for March 2026 (I’d argue two; more on the second later), so let’s not beat around the bush for much longer because it is time to celebrate the amazing news.
The Favourite: Killers of the Flower Moon (2023)
I had a feeling that Killers of the Flower Moon would finally reach the Criterion Collection after the Best Picture Oscar winner, CODA, was finally given a physical release in North America (I am a bit of a nerd and own every Best Picture winner ever, and so I bought an Italian import that actually comes with an Italian Sign Language handbook, since this was previously the only option available, but I digress). For the most part, Apple has been difficult with allowing their catalogue to flourish outside of its streaming platform for years (to say the least), so the many prayers for Martin Scorsese’s western tragedy, Killers of the Flower Moon, to arrive on physical media in any capacity have finally been answered. To make sure that everyone who awaited this day could be happy, this film is being released on 4K, Blu-ray, and DVD; anyone with a player of some sort can own a copy of Killers of the Flower Moon now. That’s not all: we have special features to gush over as well. These include two documentaries (one about the making of the film, and one about the final sequence involving the song “WahZhaZhe” [an exquisite original composition, if you ask me]), footage from the 2023 Cannes press junket, and an archived interview with cinematographer Rodrigo Prieto. You also know that this release is a big deal when there are two Criterion essays (by programmer Adam Prion and critic Vinson Cunningham, respectively). Don’t let the nearly four-hour runtime deter you. This is a brilliant film by Scorsese that will be discussed for years to come (look at how in-demand a physical copy of the film was).
Under-Seen Choice: Testament (1983)
Despite being an Oscar-nominated feature, I’d argue that no one talks about Lynne Littman’s Testament anymore. Maybe we fear the possibility of a nuclear disaster for clear reasons, but there is much more going in Littman’s post apocalyptic drama than just war: we see society imploding, as well as the rippling aftermath of even just one strike. Only available on Blu-ray (at least it’s the most accessible format in this day and age), Testament has a handful of features to entice you to revisit a film that might be worth it. You’ll get two of Littman’s documentaries (including her Academy Award-winning short, Number Our Days, as well as In Her Own Time), an interview between Littman and author Sam Wasson), a recording of the film’s Oscar nominated star, Jane Alexander, reading the short story The Last Testament (which serves as the source material for this film), and archived footage when the film turned twenty years-old and the cast and crew reflected on it. I’d argue that these are very special bonuses for this film and any fan would appreciate this goodness; perhaps you’ll love this film as well and will find these extras as the numerous cherries-on-top.
It’s Claude Time: A Man and a Woman (1966)
We have two films directed by a Claude to check out and/or purchase. The first is by Claude Lelouch, and it is obviously his Palme d’Or winning classic, A Man and a Woman. A unique take on the romantic drama, A Man and a Woman stars two characters who ache after tragedy and try to find the strength to move on and fall in love again (but, of course, it would never be that simple). Even though it was already a hit the year it came out, A Man and a Woman’s reputation only grows over time, and so its arrival in the Criterion Collection was only a matter of time. While it is only available on Blu-ray (at least it’s the safest bet for most cinephiles), there are a couple of bonus features to make this already adored classic of French cinema even more coveted. There’s a new interview with Lelouch, one of the director’s short films (C’etait un rendez-vous), a making-of documentary of the film, and footage from the 1966 Cannes Film Festival (when the film won the top prize that year). If you have not seen A Man and a Woman yet, I highly recommend it for fans of French films and romance films that do things differently; you’ll likely see where all of the hype comes from once you get around to it.
Not Just Any Blade: The Blade (1995)
Criterion simply has not slowed down with its inclusion of action cinema, so Tsui Hark’s The Blade is a welcome surprise to many martial arts fans. A revenge tale (what else is new with kung fu cinema), The Blade was too ahead of its time due to its hyperbolic style which has certainly earned a contemporary audience who appreciate it. Available on 4K and Blu-ray (you’ll want to go with the 4K for this one, folks), The Blade also has quite a few features to make it worth anyone’s while. These range from an audio commentary by producer Frank Djeng, a documentary about Tsui, a video essay tribute to the film, and a recording of a Q&A with Tsui at the 2011 New York Asian Film Festival. Even if you are not an action junkie, it is safe to say that Criterion’s taste in these kinds of genre films is quite noteworthy, and that is proven once again with a film like The Blade that is equal parts exciting and artistically intriguing.
It’s Time to Upgrade: Viridiana (1961)
One of Luis Buñuel’s greatest triumphs (which is saying a lot, because I consider Buñuel amongst the greatest directors in all of cinema), the Palme d’Or winning masterpiece, Viridiana, is as exemplary as surrealist cinema gets (its relentless subject matter may not be for the faint of heart, though). Easily the best film of this announcement, the only reason why I didn’t crown Viridiana the best part of this slate is because it already exists in the Criterion Collection (on DVD, however, which I do own because I was prepared to own a copy of Viridiana in any capacity; it really is that worthwhile). I always reserve “upgrades” for the end of my editorials. Having said that, it was about damn time that Viridiana was made available on Blu-ray, but there is the extra incentive to jump straight to the 4K option now (this is a must for me). This is one of those films that must be in your collection if you are serious about cinema; just be prepared for a scathing satire that doesn’t hold back against organized religion and corrupt politics (to the point that the film was outright banned in Spain; if that doesn’t pique your curiosity, nothing will).
Let’s Keep Upgrading: Classe tous risques (1960)
If A Man and a Woman was always celebrated to varying degrees, then the second of our Claude double-header, Claude Sautet’s Classe tous risques, is a French film that has always deserved the flowers it didn’t necessarily always get. A riveting crime film that sadly got outshined by the French New Wave movement, Sautet’s film was a precursor to the neo-noir thrillers of minds like Jean-Pierre Melville before it was hip to be dangerous. Possibly the least well-known film of this slate (sadly so; I’d place it as one of the best of this lineup), Classe tous risques will likely be discovered by many walks of life now that it will be available on Blu-ray and 4K (it is presently available on DVD, if you wish); these new releases will boast the same features as the DVD did.
Andreas Babiolakis has a Masters degree in Film and Photography Preservation and Collections Management from Toronto Metropolitan University, as well as a Bachelors degree in Cinema Studies from York University. His favourite times of year are the Criterion Collection flash sales and the annual Toronto International Film Festival.