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Short movies on Criterion Channel, under 100 minutes

Right now the best films under 100 minutes on Criterion Channel in the United States are Modern Times (1936), La Haine (1995) and The Gold Rush (1925). This is the top 27 streaming there today, ranked by how well rated each one is, how many people have rated it, and what people are watching now.

Great films that are over in an hour and a half or so, for a weeknight.

Updated November 12, 2026 · streaming in the United States

Pick three for me

  1. 1. Modern Times1936

    Film · 1h 27mComedy, Drama, Romance★ 8.3

    A bumbling tramp desires to build a home with a young woman, yet is thwarted time and time again by his lack of experience and habit of being in the wrong place at the wrong time...

    Stream onPrime VideoHBO MaxYouTube TVCriterion Channel+4

  2. 2. La Haine1995

    Film · 1h 38mDrama★ 8.1

    After a chaotic night of rioting in a marginal suburb of Paris, three young friends, Vinz, Hubert and Saïd, wander around unoccupied waiting for news about the state of health of a mutual friend who has been seriously injured when…

    Stream onCriterion Channel

  3. 3. 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

  4. 4. Flow2024

    Film · 1h 25mAdventure, Animation, Family★ 8.1

    A solitary cat, displaced by a great flood, finds refuge on a boat with various species and must navigate the challenges of adapting to a transformed world together.

    Stream onCriterion Channel

  5. 5. Wild Strawberries1957

    Film · 1h 31mDrama★ 8.1

    Crotchety retired doctor Isak Borg travels from Stockholm to Lund, Sweden, with his unhappy daughter-in-law, Marianne, in order to receive an honorary degree from his alma mater.

    Stream onHBO MaxCriterion ChannelKanopy (free)

  6. Which of these would you actually like?

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  7. 6. Three Colors: Red1994

    Film · 1h 40mDrama, Mystery, Romance★ 7.9

    Part-time model Valentine unexpectedly befriends a retired judge after she runs over his dog. At first, the grumpy man shows no concern about the dog, and Valentine decides to keep it.

    Stream onHBO MaxCriterion ChannelTCM

  8. 7. 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

  9. 8. 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

  10. 9. Three Colors: Blue1993

    Film · 1h 38mDrama★ 7.6

    The wife of a famous composer survives a car accident that kills her husband and daughter. Now alone, she shakes off her old identity and explores her newfound freedom but finds that she is unbreakably bound to other humans, including her…

    Stream onHBO MaxCriterion ChannelTCM

  11. 10. Godzilla1954

    Film · 1h 36mThriller, Horror, Science Fiction★ 7.6

    Japan is thrown into a panic after several ships are sunk near Odo Island. An expedition to the island led by Dr. Kyohei Yamane soon discover something far more devastating than imagined in the form of a 50 meter tall monster whom the…

    Stream onHBO MaxCriterion ChannelCinemaxTCM+1

  12. 11. Autumn Sonata1978

    Film · 1h 33mDrama★ 8.0

    After a seven-year absence, Charlotte Andergast travels to Sweden to reunite with her daughter Eva. The pair have a troubled relationship: Charlotte sacrificed the responsibilities of motherhood for a career as a classical pianist.

    Stream onHBO MaxCriterion Channel

  13. 12. Battleship Potemkin1925

    Film · 1h 15mDrama, History, War★ 7.6

    In the midst of the Russian Revolution of 1905, the crew of the battleship Potemkin revolt against the brutal, tyrannical regime of the vessel's officers. The resulting street demonstration in Odessa brings on a police massacre.

    Stream onHBO MaxBrewYouTube TVCriterion Channel+14

  14. 13. Police Story1985

    Film · 1h 39mAction, Crime, Comedy★ 7.6

    Officer Chan Ka Kui manages to put a major Hong Kong drug dealer behind the bars practically alone, after a shooting and an impressive chase inside a slum.

    Stream onHBO MaxCriterion ChannelTencent VideoShout! Factory TV (free)

  15. 14. Cries and Whispers1972

    Film · 1h 35mDrama★ 7.8

    As Agnes slowly dies of cancer, her sisters are so immersed in their own psychic pains that they are unable to offer her the support she needs.

    Stream onHBO MaxCriterion Channel

  16. 15. Ivan's Childhood1962

    Film · 1h 35mDrama, War★ 7.8

    In WW2, twelve year old Soviet orphan Ivan Bondarev works for the Soviet army as a scout behind the German lines and strikes a friendship with three sympathetic Soviet officers.

    Stream onCriterion ChannelPlex (free)

  17. 16. Sanjuro1962

    Film · 1h 36mDrama, Action, Comedy★ 7.9

    In this companion piece and sequel to "Yojimbo," jaded samurai Sanjuro helps an idealistic group of young warriors weed out their clan's evil influences, and in the process turns their image of a proper samurai on its ear.

    Stream onCriterion Channel

  18. 17. Three Colors: White1994

    Film · 1h 32mComedy, Drama, Mystery★ 7.4

    Polish immigrant Karol Karol finds himself out of a marriage, a job and a country when his French wife, Dominique, divorces him after six months due to his impotence.

    Stream onHBO MaxCriterion ChannelTCM

  19. 18. Umberto D.1952

    Film · 1h 31mDrama★ 7.9

    When elderly pensioner Umberto Domenico Ferrari returns to his boarding house from a protest calling for a hike in old-age pensions, his landlady demands her 15,000-lire rent by the end of the month or he and his small dog will be turned…

    Stream onHBO MaxCriterion ChannelKanopy (free)Darkroom (free)

  20. 19. The Exterminating Angel1962

    Film · 1h 33mComedy, Drama, Fantasy★ 7.9

    After a lavish dinner party, the guests find themselves unable to depart... and, over the next few days, all of their elaborate societal pretenses and façades deteriorate as they are reduced to living like animals.

    Stream onCriterion ChannelCultpixPlex (free)Mometu (free)

  21. 20. Taste of Cherry1997

    Film · 1h 39mDrama★ 7.7

    A middle-aged Tehranian man, Mr. Badii is intent on killing himself and seeks someone to bury him after his demise. Driving around the city, the seemingly well-to-do Badii meets with numerous people, including a Muslim student, asking them…

    Stream onHBO MaxCriterion ChannelKanopy (free)

  22. 21. The Virgin Spring1960

    Film · 1h 30mDrama, History★ 7.8

    Devout Christians Töre and Märeta send their only daughter, the virginal Karin, and their foster daughter, the unrepentant Ingeri, to deliver candles to a distant church.

    Stream onCriterion ChannelKanopy (free)

  23. 22. Man Bites Dog1992

    Film · 1h 36mComedy, Crime★ 7.2

    The activities of rampaging, indiscriminate serial killer Ben are recorded by a willingly complicit documentary team, who eventually become his accomplices and active participants.

    Stream onCriterion ChannelHBO Max

  24. 23. The Cranes Are Flying1957

    Film · 1h 37mDrama, Romance, War★ 7.9

    Veronika and Boris come together in Moscow shortly before World War II. Walking along the river, they watch cranes fly overhead, and promise to rendezvous before Boris leaves to fight.

    Stream onCriterion ChannelDarkroom (free)Artiflix (free)Roku Channel (free)

  25. 24. Where Is The Friend's House?1987

    Film · 1h 23mDrama, Adventure★ 7.9

    An 8-year-old boy must return his friend's notebook he took by mistake, lest his friend be punished by expulsion from school.

    Stream onCriterion Channel

  26. 25. Winter Light1963

    Film · 1h 20mDrama★ 7.9

    A Swedish pastor fails a loving woman, a suicidal fisherman and God.

    Stream onCriterion Channel

  27. 26. Through a Glass Darkly1961

    Film · 1h 31mDrama★ 7.8

    Karin hopes to recover from her recent stay at a mental hospital by spending the summer at her family's cottage on a tiny island. Her husband, Martin, cares for her but is frustrated by her physical withdrawal.

    Stream onHBO MaxCriterion Channel

  28. 27. Viridiana1962

    Film · 1h 30mDrama★ 7.7

    Viridiana is preparing to start her life as a nun when she is sent, somewhat unwillingly, to visit her aging uncle, Don Jaime. He supports her; but the two have met only once. Jaime thinks Viridiana resembles his dead wife.

    Stream onCriterion ChannelDarkroomKanopy (free)

Questions

What are the best films under 100 minutes on Criterion Channel right now?
In the United States, as of November 12, 2026: Modern Times (1936), rated 8.3 out of 10 on TMDB, then La Haine and The Gold Rush.
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.

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