What are the best hidden gems on Criterion Channel right now?

In the United States, as of November 12, 2026: The Gold Rush (1925), rated 8.0 out of 10 on TMDB, then The Circus and To Be or Not to Be.

How is this list made?

Watchwalla asks TMDB for everything of this kind that streams in your country today, ranks it by rating (pulled toward the middle until enough people have rated a title), with a nudge for what's new and what people are watching now, and refreshes the list every day. Streaming availability comes from JustWatch, through TMDB.

Can it pick something for me?

Yes. The picker at watchwalla.com/tonight asks who's watching, how much time you have and what you're in the mood for, and gives three picks streaming where you are. Sign in and every title also gets a match score for your own taste.

What to watch

Hidden gems on Criterion Channel

Right now the best hidden gems on Criterion Channel in the United States are The Gold Rush (1925), The Circus (1928) and To Be or Not to Be (1942). This is the top 18 streaming there today, ranked by how well rated each one is, how many people have rated it, and what people are watching now.

Highly rated by the people who've seen them, at least two years old, and not seen by many: the ones nobody has recommended to you yet.

Updated November 12, 2026 · streaming in the United States

Pick three for meAll Films Series

1. The Gold Rush1925
Film · 1h 35mAdventure, Comedy, Drama★ 8.0
A gold prospector in Alaska struggles to survive the elements and win the heart of a dance hall girl.
Stream onPrime VideoHBO MaxCriterion ChannelHistory Vault+11
2. The Circus1928
Film · 1h 12mComedy, Drama, Romance★ 7.9
Charlie, a wandering tramp, becomes a circus handyman - soon the star of the show - and falls in love with the circus owner's stepdaughter.
Stream onPrime VideoHBO MaxCriterion ChannelFlixFling+5
3. To Be or Not to Be1942
Film · 1h 39mComedy, War, Romance★ 7.8
During the Nazi occupation of Poland, an acting troupe becomes embroiled in a Polish soldier's efforts to track down a German spy.
Stream onHBO MaxCriterion Channel
4. The Last Emperor1987
Film · 2h 43mDrama, History★ 7.6
A dramatic history of Pu Yi, the last of the Emperors of China, from his lofty birth and brief reign in the Forbidden City, the object of worship by half a billion people; through his abdication, his decline and dissolute lifestyle; his…
Stream onHBO MaxCriterion ChannelCinemax
5. The Prisoner1967
Series · 1 seasonDrama, Sci-Fi & Fantasy, Mystery★ 7.7
After resigning, a secret agent is abducted and taken to what looks like an idyllic village, but is really a bizarre Kafkaesque prison. His warders demand information. He gives them nothing, but only tries to escape.
Stream onPrime VideofuboTVCriterion ChannelNight Flight Plus+8
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6. Monsieur Verdoux1947
Film · 2h 4mComedy, Crime, Drama★ 7.7
The film is about an unemployed banker, Henri Verdoux, and his sociopathic methods of attaining income. While being both loyal and competent in his work, Verdoux has been laid-off.
Stream onHBO MaxCriterion ChannelTCMKanopy (free)
7. Secrets & Lies1996
Film · 2h 22mDrama★ 7.6
After her adoptive mother dies, Hortense, a successful black optometrist, seeks out her birth mother. She's shocked when her research leads her to Cynthia, a working class white woman.
Stream onHBO MaxCriterion Channel
8. Control2007
Film · 2h 2mDrama★ 7.5
The story of Joy Division’s lead singer Ian Curtis, from his schoolboy days in 1973 to his suicide on the eve of the band's first American tour in 1980.
Stream onCriterion ChannelLionsgate+Kanopy (free)YouTube Free (free)+2
9. War and Peace2016
Series · 1 seasonDrama★ 7.5
The love story of young Countess Natasha Rostova and Count Pierre Bezukhov is interwoven with the Great Patriotic War of 1812 against Napoleon's invading army.
Stream onPrime VideoPeacockBritBoxCriterion Channel+2
10. Hannah and Her Sisters1986
Film · 1h 47mComedy, Drama★ 7.5
Between two Thanksgivings, Hannah's husband falls in love with her sister Lee, while her hypochondriac ex-husband rekindles his relationship with her sister Holly.
Stream onPrime VideoCriterion ChannelMGM+Hoopla (free)+4
11. Meshes of the Afternoon1943
Film · 14mMystery, Horror★ 7.6
A woman returning home falls asleep and has vivid dreams that may or may not be happening in reality. Through repetitive images and complete mismatching of the objective view of time and space, her dark inner desires play out on-screen.
Stream onCriterion ChannelKanopy (free)
12. The Lady Vanishes1938
Film · 1h 36mMystery, Thriller★ 7.4
On a train headed for England a group of travelers is delayed by an avalanche. Holed up in a hotel in a fictional European country, young Iris befriends elderly Miss Froy.
Stream onfuboTVHBO MaxPhiloCriterion Channel+17
13. My Dinner with Andre1981
Film · 1h 52mDrama, Comedy★ 7.5
Wally, a struggling playwright and actor, reluctantly agrees to catch up with his old friend Andre, a theater director who disappeared several years prior in order to travel the world.
Stream onHBO MaxCriterion ChannelYouTube Free (free)Plex (free)
14. Down by Law1986
Film · 1h 46mCrime, Drama, Comedy★ 7.4
A disc jockey, a pimp and an Italian tourist escape from jail in New Orleans.
Stream onHBO MaxYouTube TVCriterion ChannelFandango at Home Free (free)+2
15. Hamlet1948
Film · 2h 33mDrama★ 7.4
Winner of four Academy Awards, including Best Picture and Best Actor, Sir Laurence Olivier’s Hamlet continues to be the most compelling version of Shakespeare’s beloved tragedy.
Stream onfuboTVHBO MaxCriterion ChannelRoku Channel (free)+5
16. Mystery Train1989
Film · 1h 46mComedy★ 7.3
In Memphis, Tennessee, over the course of a single night, the Arcade Hotel, run by an eccentric night clerk and a clueless bellboy, is visited by a young Japanese couple traveling in search of the roots of rock; an Italian woman in…
Stream onCriterion Channel
17. A Dog's Life1918
Film · 34mComedy★ 7.3
The Tramp and his dog companion struggle to survive in the inner city.
Stream onPrime VideoHBO MaxCriterion ChannelFILMBOX+ Now+1
18. Great Expectations1946
Film · 1h 58mDrama, Romance★ 7.3
In this Dickens adaptation, orphan Pip discovers through lawyer Mr. Jaggers that a mysterious benefactor wishes to ensure that he becomes a gentleman.
Stream onfuboTVHBO MaxCriterion ChannelFlixFling+9

Questions

What are the best hidden gems on Criterion Channel right now?: In the United States, as of November 12, 2026: The Gold Rush (1925), rated 8.0 out of 10 on TMDB, then The Circus and To Be or Not to Be.
How is this list made?: Watchwalla asks TMDB for everything of this kind that streams in your country today, ranks it by rating (pulled toward the middle until enough people have rated a title), with a nudge for what's new and what people are watching now, and refreshes the list every day. Streaming availability comes from JustWatch, through TMDB.
Can it pick something for me?: Yes. The picker at watchwalla.com/tonight asks who's watching, how much time you have and what you're in the mood for, and gives three picks streaming where you are. Sign in and every title also gets a match score for your own taste.

Hidden gems on Criterion Channel

1. The Gold Rush1925

2. The Circus1928

3. To Be or Not to Be1942

4. The Last Emperor1987

5. The Prisoner1967

6. Monsieur Verdoux1947

7. Secrets & Lies1996

8. Control2007

9. War and Peace2016

10. Hannah and Her Sisters1986

11. Meshes of the Afternoon1943

12. The Lady Vanishes1938

13. My Dinner with Andre1981

14. Down by Law1986

15. Hamlet1948

16. Mystery Train1989

17. A Dog's Life1918

18. Great Expectations1946

Questions

More to choose from