First and foremost, my name is Jacob Mauceri, I’ve been religiously keeping up with Criterion’s new releases since 2019 or so. I enjoy a wide variety of films and I owe the variety of Criterion’s releases to my eclectic taste and experience with film. Going forward, I will be taking over InSession Film’s monthly Criterion article and you can follow along while I wax poetic over excellent films.
The month of love in the year of the Horse, 2026, comes with it a lovely assortment of releases from Criterion. A restoration of an undisputed classic Western followed by a slew of upgrades and new releases from cinematic titans. There will be seven releases, par for the course of their current monthly release strategy, which includes one Eclipse boxset upgrade and one Criterion Premieres blu-ray. We’re only two months into 2026, and if this is how we’re starting the year, we are in for an insane year of releases. Full disclosure, I will most certainly be purchasing every single one of these.
3:10 to Yuma (1957)
Based on the story of the same name, 3:10 to Yuma is an early example of a cinematic cat-and-mouse – but in the Wild West! A humble cattle rancher is tasked with bringing a captured outlaw to the train that will take him to prison but quickly devolves from there. This is a new restoration for the film, and just a reminder for the folks curious – 4K restorations of black and white films are equally as gorgeous as films in color. I’m personally more familiar with the James Mangold adaptation from 2007, however, this film has been on my backburner for a number of years. This will be a day one purchase for me as a fan of the western genre and a sucker for a rich black and white cinematic experience.
A Woman Under the Influence (1974)
Regarded as John Cassavetes’ greatest film, and Gena Rowlands at her absolute best, A Woman Under the Influence is given an individual blu-ray release outside of the popular and well regarded John Cassavetes: Five Films Criterion box-set. Hitting on themes found in Cassavetes’s other works such as Faces and Husbands, this film examines domestic turmoil between a married couple played by Rowlands and the inimitable Peter Falk. This release is a perfect opportunity to begin working through the films of John Cassavetes without committing to an entire boxset (But, after this incredible film, why wouldn’t you want to dive deeper?).
PlayTime (1967)
PlayTime is the only film of Jacques Tati’s that I’ve seen. I saw it back in 2014 with one of my best friends, at a time when I wasn’t nearly as accepting of film the way I am now, and it has stuck with me ever since. PlayTime is a nearly wordless comedic odyssey that spans over the course of a day following Tati’s recurring character Monsieur Hulot and other random individuals as they live an abnormally slapstick day in Paris. Visually, it is ironic due to its lack of variety when it comes to color and exuberance that one would normally associate with Paris. Considering this is a 4K restoration and release you get to see the intentionally comedic monotony in the most brilliant way possible. This is a film I adore endlessly and can’t wait to see again in a sharper image.
Cloud (2024)
Kiyoshi Kurosawa has made some of the most unsettling and relevant films ever. In 2024, Kurosawa released three films – a remake of his film Serpent’s Path, a short film that is stuck in blockchain hell, and this film, Cloud. Pulling from his film Pulse, Cloud tackles the horrors of the internet and the bottomless pit that it is. Usually with Kurosawa’s works, his films are best observed under limited knowledge and Cloud is no different. However, I can assure you the pit in my stomach I get from Kurosawa’s work is ever present in this release. To boot, the Criterion Premieres line is cheaper than their standard releases – and this is no different. A tasteful film in a respectable blu-ray release at the (regular asking) price of $29.95 is a steal in my eyes.
Eclipse Series 8: Lubitsch Musicals
The rebirth of Criterion’s boxsets of underseen film retrospectives has already given us a brilliant examination of Abbas Kiarostami’s early works. Now, Criterion is rereleasing the early musicals from the silent film legend Ernst Lubitsch. In this set, we get film’s first movie musical, The Love Parade (1929), Monte Carlo (1930), The Smiling Lieutenant (1931), and One Hour With You (1932). Each of these films contribute to the development of the modern movie musical, and build foundational understanding how sound is integrated into the moving image. While I’m unfamiliar with this particular set of films, Lubitsch is one of cinema’s most important architects. This set should be a part of every film lover’s collection.
Network (1976)
Network is eerily one of America’s most important films. One of the pinnacles of the New Hollywood movement, Network, a movie released in the mid-’70s, has never been more relevant. 50 years later. The film follows a broadcaster of a struggling television network having a mental breakdown on air causing an uproar and examination of corporate-dominated America. The phrase “I’m as mad as hell and I’m not going to take this anymore” has rung in my head more than I’d like to admit (by a mixture of my father’s own quoting of the film throughout my young 29 years of life and my own sentiment with the current state of America), which is to say this release couldn’t be more timely and more harrowing. This is a film that everyone needs to watch.
The Man Who Wasn’t There (2001)
It should go without saying that the films of The Coen Brothers are incredible. The Man Who Wasn’t There has been a dream release for a number of years – in the same way No Country for Old Men was up until December of 2024. The film follows a barber whose suspicions of infidelity get the better of him and his life devolves into conspiracy and death. The Americana on display and incredibly dry humor is in line with what you’d expect with a Coen Brothers flick, but this film is severely underrated (in terms of the Coen’s filmography). Now that this is coming soon, now we wait for what Coen release we will get after – fingers crossed for O Brother, Where Art Thou?
Just a heads up, Criterion usually (keyword here is ‘usually’) does a flash sale at half price. If you are looking to pick any of these up at half price, keep your eyes peeled for any social media announcements or if you receive their emails. If not, it’ll be a March sale (will report back next month).
