For physical-media obsessives, February is shaping up to be a heavyweight month. The Criterion Collection has unveiled a stellar 2026 slate featuring cornerstone American cinema, newly restored masterpieces, pre-Code discoveries, and one of the most unclassifiable genre films of recent years. From Sidney Lumet’s prophetic media satire “Network” to the Coen brothers‘ monochrome existential noir “The Man Who Wasn’t There” to Kiyoshi Kurosawa’s delirious digital nightmare “Cloud,” it’s a lineup that spans eras, moods, formats, and film-historical obsessions in a way only Criterion really does anymore.
The headliners are two towering modern classics arriving in fresh 4K restorations: “Network” (1976), Lumet’s still-ferocious takedown of corporate rot and spectacle-driven news, and “The Man Who Wasn’t There” (2001), the Coens’ razor-precise noir about paranoia, dread, and cosmic futility. Both sets include Dolby Vision HDR presentations, filmmaker interviews, and deep-dive supplements.
Alongside them comes “Cloud,” a dark comic thriller from Kiyoshi Kurosawa, which tore through festivals with its deranged blend of revenge plotting, internet-age alienation, and slow-burn dread. Following a limited theatrical run, it now joins Criterion Premieres with a filmmaker interview and new critical notes.
Also arriving is Eclipse Series 8: Lubitsch Musicals, a quartet of pre-Code operetta-era gems from Ernst Lubitsch—including “The Love Parade,” “Monte Carlo,” “The Smiling Lieutenant,” and “One Hour With You.” Long out of print, these films capture Lubitsch inventing the modern movie musical: bawdy, elegant, and dripping with the famous “Lubitsch touch.”
Two major legacy titles also return to shelves with new restorations: “3:10 to Yuma” (1957), directed by Delmer Daves, arrives in 4K UHD with archival interviews and essays, while “PlayTime” (1967)—Jacques Tati’s widescreen monument to modern-life absurdity—gets both 4K and Blu-ray editions packed with scene commentaries, documentaries, archival programs, and rare shorts.
Rounding out the month, “A Woman Under the Influence” (1974) receives a stand-alone Blu-ray edition with conversations featuring Gena Rowlands, Peter Falk, and John Cassavetes, plus a wealth of archival materials.
Physical media may be under siege, but February’s Criterion lineup reads like a cinephile care package: restorations, rescues, rarities, and one genuinely unhinged new thriller.
Below is the full slate.
February 2026 Criterion Collection Releases
“3:10 to Yuma” — 4K UHD + Blu-Ray
“PlayTime” — 4K UHD / Blu-Ray
“A Woman Under the Influence” — Blu-Ray
Eclipse Series 8: Lubitsch Musicals — Blu-Ray
“Cloud” — Blu-Ray / DVD
“Network” — 4K UHD + Blu-Ray / Blu-Ray
“The Man Who Wasn’t There” — 4K UHD + Blu-Ray / Blu-Ray
Rodrigo Perez is the founder and editor-in-chief of The Playlist, which he launched in 2008. He has worked in entertainment journalism since 2000, including at MTV, and has written for SPIN, IndieWire, Pitchfork, Complex, Magnet, and various music, film, and entertainment publications over the past two decades.
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