Welcome to the sixth annual Criterion Challenge where we celebrate The Criterion Collection! Hundreds of you have participated in these challenges year after year, so thanks to all of you for making this what it is. I took many of your suggestions and turned them into categories for what will be another very exciting line-up!
But first, time for the rules:
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. Your 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 (although I'd prefer you choose films they've actually put out themselves).
The…
Welcome to the sixth annual Criterion Challenge where we celebrate The Criterion Collection! Hundreds of you have participated in these challenges year after year, so thanks to all of you for making this what it is. I took many of your suggestions and turned them into categories for what will be another very exciting line-up!
But first, time for the rules:
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. Your 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 (although I'd prefer you choose films they've actually put out themselves).
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.
I would like for all picks to be first time watches, but will leave that up to you.
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.
HUGE SHOUTOUT to Josh, Criterion Closet Picks, and Adam for their amazing Criterion lists which helps this process move along much smoother.
Now...what you all have been waiting for...
Categories:
1. 20th Anniversary Releases
2. Watch a film not on your watchlist
3. Watch a film with a color in the title
4. 2020s or an upcoming release
5. Romance
6. The Twenty Least Watched Films
7. Queer Cinema
8. 1930s
9. 1990s
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.)
11. King Princess’s Top 10
12. Judge a film by its cover - Watch a film whose cover art caught your eye
13. Song and Dance
14. 2000s
15. Director Approved
16. Seth Rogen and Evan Goldberg’s Closet Picks
17. Prequel/Sequel/Remake/Reimagining
18. 1980s
19. Watch a film that starts with the first letter of your name
20. Kathryn Bigelow’s Closet Picks
21. 1940s
22. Watch a film rated 2.0-2.9 stars
23. Pick any category from a past Criterion Challenge year
24. 1001 Movies You Must See Before You Die
25. “Good For Her” Cinematic Universe
26. Guy Maddin’s Top 10
27. 1960s
28. Directed by Satyajit Ray
29. Watch a film from any box set release
30. Black Lives
31. Watch a film rated 3.7 stars
32. Elle Fanning’s Closet Picks
33. War
34. 2010s
35. 1950s
36. Glorious Restorations
37. Must see Criterion released films as featured on Danny Peary’s “Guide for the Film Fanatic” (1986)
38. Random Letter Generator - Watch a film that starts with the letter randomly generated
39. The Best Movies of the 21st Century
40. Directed by Mira Nair
41. Spine #701-750
42. 1970s
43. Letterboxd Top 250
44. Watch a film you haven’t seen that someone else watched as part of last year’s challenge
45. Novels on the Big Screen
46. Random Year Generator - Set values from 1915 to 2024 and watch a film from whatever year is randomly generated
47. Women Directors: The Official Top 250 Narrative Feature Films
48. David Byrne’s Closet Picks
49. Criterion Double Features: Film #1
50. Criterion Double Features: Film #2
51. 1920s
52. Watch any Criterion film from your watchlist
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!
Previous challenges:
The Criterion Challenge 2021
The Criterion Challenge 2022
The Criterion Challenge 2023
The Criterion Challenge 2024
The Criterion Challenge 2025
Started: 1/1/26
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