Criterion Crazy: September 2026 Releases
Written by Andreas Babiolakis
It's the fifteenth of the month, so, once again, it's the time for us to look at a Criterion Collection announcement! Ahead of the film festival madness that is coming in September (and, likely, some foresight as to what you can pick up should you be fortunate enough for the mobile Criterion Closet to make an appearance near you), Criterion has announced four new entries, two upgrades, and another Criterion Premieres title. I think this announcement will leave many quite pleased. Two of these titles are newer films that cinephiles have been pining for for a few months now, and they felt due to be a part of the Criterion Collection from the moment they were released. Then, you have a boxset that I don't think anyone anticipated (but, goodness, does it feel essential now that it has been announced). We have a lot to look forward to with the September Criterion selection, so let's dive right in.
The Favourite: Three Films by Leos Carax
Um, hello? A box set of Leos Carax's three earliest films? One of the biggest names of the Cinema du look movement (highly stylized, new wave pictures from France; ones that often dealt with the psychological isolation of a film's characters), Carax's trilogy of films here are must-haves in your collection. We have Boy Meets Girl (1984), Mauvais sang (1986) — which is my personal favourite of the three — and The Lovers on the Bridge (1991). All three of these visually sumptuous films are available on 4K and Blu-ray (this calls for 4K, if you want my honest opinion). If that wasn't enough, the features that this set comes with are to die for. These include a variety of interviews and essays, a couple of documentaries about Carax and his films, and Carax's own self-examination titled It's Not Me. If you are unfamiliar with the Cinema du look style, or Carax's films overall, imagine if the French New Wave kicked off in the eighties and was driven by the aesthetic, music, and culture of the era; that doesn't even begin to describe how transcendent Carax's films are. I say dive in blindly and enjoy the mesmerizing ride.
Best Newer Release: The Secret Agent (2025)
Kleber Mendonça Filho's championed Oscar contender, The Secret Agent, is now available on Criterion — to the surprise of very few when this information was leaked months ago (alongside some other contemporary titles like Sentimental Value). This Brazilian low-burn look at sociopolitical rebellion and paranoia will be available on 4K, Blu-ray, and DVD — this is nice considering that it is likely difficult to pick up The Secret Agent with such a gorgeous, methodical release outside of Criterion, and now it will be available to most cinephiles. This release comes with another Mendonça Filho title, Pictures of Ghosts, which already makes this pickup feel more than worthwhile. Alongside that is a making-of documentary, various interviews, and a handful of written and visual essays. While it feels quite early to have a film like this in the Collection, let's be honest: The Secret Agent would have wound up here at some point, so why not celebrate it now?
Keeping Things New: Nouvelle Vague (2025)
That's not the only 2025 title to wind up in the Criterion Collection this month. In fact, we have Richard Linklater's love letter to the French New Wave: Nouvelle Vague. This makes perfect sense, considering that Criterion already houses a handful of Linklater titles, and it also cherishes the French New Wave movement. Also available on all three formats (4K, Blu-ray, and DVD), Nouvelle Vague will be accessible to any walk of life in September; for this film in particular, I suggest to go with your gut. The pulpy, fuzzy black-and-white cinematography may look even better on something lower in quality like the DVD release, which is how I may go about purchasing it (then again, should I remain a 4K purist in this instance?). The film will come with commentary by Linklater, various interviews and making-of materials, and trailers. Now, when I say trailers, I don't mean for this film like other releases would have. Apparently, Nouvelle Vague will have trailers for French New Wave classics. Now, that is unique and enticing; it feels like a miniature gallery or exhibition for the very movement that Linklater's film is honouring.
There’s Always Room for Satyajit Ray: Days and Nights in the Forest (1970)
A number of works by Bengali icon Satyajit Ray have made their way into the Criterion Collection, but these are what you would expect from the legendary auteur (like the three films in the Apu Trilogy, or The Big City). Getting a lesser-celebrated film like Days and Nights in the Forest is lovely, and I hope it is a sign that even more Ray titles will appear in the Collection. Ray is one of the great directors to fully explore what a character study can be, and in this terrific film about four different Calcutta bachelors, you can see a master flexing such muscles. Available on — wait for it — all three formats yet again (4K, Blu-ray, and DVD), Days and Nights in the Forest will be easy to add to any collection. Is Criterion just wanting to be accessible to any film lover now? It's nice that it is trying to incorporate DVD releases in three of its new titles this month, but I wonder what spurred this change? But I digress. Days and Nights in the Forest will include very few features, including an introduction by Wes Anderson (who has been greatly inspired by Ray, particularly with The Darjeeling Limited), a making-of featurette, a discussion about the film's restoration, and a classic Criterion essay by film critic Devika Girish. Even though Ray has more well known films, starting with Days and Nights in the Forest would be a bold but correct choice if you have never seen any of his works before; you should start with this incredible career somewhere, so why not here?
From OOP to Back in Stock: Shoah (1985)
People were quite concerned when the documentary masterpiece, Shoah, was out of print for quite some time. This can mean either that Criterion is fighting to get the rights back to release said film, or that Criterion will never be affiliated with this film ever again. Fortunately, Shoah is back in the Collection and will be available now on Blu-ray. What I have crowned the greatest documentary of all time, this nine-hour juggernaut of a picture (and its lengthy, meticulous study of the impacts of the Holocaust) is not an easy film to watch, never mind complete. However, it is an opus that should never be inaccessible, and I am chuffed that it is available again. Despite its difficulty, I think that everyone should see Shoah at least once; this could be your opportunity.
It’s Time to Upgrade: 12 Angry Men (1957)
Do I need to explain Sidney Lumet's championed debut film? 12 Angry Men is easily one of the most beloved films of all time (let alone just the fifties), and it remains one of Criterion's most popular titles to pick up on DVD and Blu-ray. The option to buy it on 4K is now available, and, honestly, despite this being a film that never leaves its solitary location for most of its runtime (a claustrophobic room with twelve jurors fighting over the fate of one man), this is still one fierce looking picture that might warrant the upgrade to 4K (besides, don't you want to see all the beads of sweat on the brows of our characters?).
Finally, Criterion Premieres: Two Prosecutors (2025)
Our Criterion Premieres title this month is Sergei Loznitsa's Two Prosecutors. A harrowing look at Joseph Stalin's Great Purge of the late thirties, Loznitsa's film dives into the warped psyche of surviving and living such a tumultuous time in history. While this film isn't getting the same treatment as The Secret Agent or Nouvelle Vague, those are well known films by larger filmmakers, and seeing something that could have been lost in the sands of time like Two Prosecutors get recognized by Criterion is quite nice. If you are looking for a great legal drama for your collection, here is an affordable blind buy for you that you won't regret.
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.