The Criterion Collection is one of the most incredible things to be created for movie fans. It's impressive that an organization is dedicated to preserving and praising films so they can be enjoyed for generations to come. Of course, a collection of some of the best movies of all time will also contain some of the best soundtracks of all time. Here are some great films that line the shelves of the Criterion Collection and the songs that back up their beauty.
Do The Right Thing
Danny Aiello
Ossie Davis
Richard Edson
John Turturro
Ruby Dee
Bill Nunn
Giancarlo Esposito
Rosie Perez
Roger Guenveur Smith
Samuel L. Jackson
Paul Benjamin
Do The Right Thing is Spike Lee’s 1989 comedy film that explores racial tension between a Brooklyn neighborhood’s African-American and Italian communities. It stems from a wall of fame in an Italian pizzeria and culminates in a day of violence under the hot summer sun. Like many films in Lee’s filmography, it's a great film that has stood the test of time as a socially conscious yet humorous classic.
Check out the full Do The Right Thing soundtrack here.
Risky Business
Tom Cruise
Rebecca De Mornay
Joe Pantoliano
Richard Masur
Bronson Pinchot
Curtis Armstrong
Nicholas Pryor
Janet Carroll
Shera Danese
Raphael Sbarge
Bruce A. Young
Kevin Anderson
Risky Business is a 1983 classic starring Tom Cruise. It tells the story of teenager Joel Goodson (Cruise) as his parents leave for the weekend and he adventures with his best friend Miles. The movie contains one of the most famous dance scenes, in which Tom Cruise dances to Bob Seger’s “Old Time Rock and Roll” in his iconic pink button-up and underwear.
Check out the full Risky Business soundtrack here.
Perfect Days
Koji Yakusho
Tokio Emoto
Arisa Nakano
Aoi Yamada
Yumi Asou
Sayuri Ishikawa
Tomokazu Miura
Min Tanaka
Miyako Tanaka
Long Mizuma
Soraji Shibuya
Aoi Iwasaki
Perfect Days is a Japanese and German film directed by Wim Wenders. It tells the story of Hiryama and his discovery of the beauty of life. The film is quaint and comfortable, and Hirayama is a wholesome main character with whom the audience can enjoy and resonate. The ending is appropriately comforting, and it sees Hiryama accept the mundane of life to the sound of “Feeling Good” by Nina Simone.
Check out the full Perfect Days soundtrack here.
La Haine
Vincent Cassel
Hubert Koundé
Saïd Taghmaoui
Abdel Ahmed Ghili
Solo
Joseph Momo
Héloïse Rauth
Rywka Wajsbrot
Olga Abrego
Laurent Labasse
Choukri Gabteni
Nabil Ben Mhamed
La Haine is a French film that follows three young men throughout their day in their home territory in a French suburban ghetto. Their surroundings are full of crime, and the 24 hours the film captures are in the aftermath of the beating of one of the men's peers by police officers and their rage directed at the incident. It’s an intensely socially conscious film that includes its soundtrack, including a scene early on that is scored to the track “Sound of Da Police” by legendary rapper KRS-One, which is perfectly apt for the film's subject matter of crime and police brutality.
Check out the full La Haine soundtrack here.
Dazed and Confused
Jason London
Matthew McConaughey
Joey Lauren Adams
Rory Cochrane
Wiley Wiggins
Adam Goldberg
Anthony Rapp
Sasha Jenson
Shawn Andrews
Milla Jovovich
Ben Affleck
Marissa Ribisi
Dazed and Confused, directed by Richard Linklater, is a coming-of-age film centered on a group of rambunctious teens in Austin, Texas. The film is untraditional in that it doesn’t have a central character or conflict but is a snapshot of the different groups of teens at this high school woven together through various plot points. It’s a fun, classic film filled with many iconic scenes and quotes. One of the most well-remembered and recognized moments from the movie includes the scene backed by the track “Low Rider” by band War in which Matthew McConaughey says his famous “Alright, Alright, Alright” line, which has become synonymous with him as an actor as well as his character in the film.
Check out the full Dazed and Confused soundtrack here.
Cooley High
Glynn Turman
Lawrence Hilton-Jacobs
Garrett Morris
Cynthia Davis
Corin Rogers
Maurice Leon Havis
Joseph Carter Wilson
Sherman Smith
Norman Gibson
Steven Williams
Robert Townsend
Cooley High is a 1975 coming-of-age dramedy. Considered a classic of black cinema, the film follows the story of Cochise and Preach—two high school seniors celebrating their last week of school. The two devise a plan to skip school for a day, and they engage in hijinks with their time off, including going to the zoo and a big party. The film eventually turns tragic, however, as violence overcomes the boys surrounding, and one of them is taken by it as Cochise is killed. His funeral scene following is scored perfectly by the song “It’s So Hard to Say Goodbye” by G.C Cameron.
Uncut Gems
Adam Sandler
LaKeith Stanfield
Julia Fox
Kevin Garnett
Idina Menzel
Eric Bogosian
Judd Hirsch
Keith William Richards
Mike Francesa
Jonathan Aranbayev
Noa Fisher
The Weeknd
Uncut Gems, directed by the Safdie Brothers, is an intense, anxiety-inducing experience. Adam Sandler’s foray into high drama is an amazing one, with a fantastic performance by him as the main character, Howard Ratner. He’s a New York City jeweler who works with big stars like Kevin Garnett and deals in precious stones, mainly a super rare opal. The list of big stars in the movie isn’t limited to the basketball world either. Most notable is artist The Weeknd, who also plays himself in the film. He has a contentious relationship with Howard and fights him shortly after he performs his song “The Morning.”
Check out the full Uncut Gems soundtrack here.
Menace II Society
Tyrin Turner
Larenz Tate
Glenn Plummer
Jada Pinkett Smith
Samuel L. Jackson
June Kyoto Lu
Toshi Toda
Reginald Ballard
Khandi Alexander
Jullian Roy Doster
Brandon Hammond
Eugene Lee
Menace II Society is a 1993 film directed by the Hughes Brothers. It follows 18-year-old Caine Lawson as he tries to escape the street life he grew up in but is bogged down by the people and places surrounding him. It’s a film that shows a lot of the inner-city violence a lot of youth experience, a phenomenon that can be seen in the scene where the Kids are listening to Al Green’s “Love and Happiness” in their car while they are going to get revenge for their friend Harold who was attacked earlier in the film. It’s a darkly ironic song choice for this moment that shows the dark cycle perpetuated in street life.
Easy Rider
Peter Fonda
Dennis Hopper
Jack Nicholson
Antonio Mendoza
Phil Spector
Mac Mashourian
Warren Finnerty
Tita Colorado
Luke Askew
Luana Anders
Sabrina Scharf
Sandy Brown Wyeth
Written and directed by Dennis Hopper, Easy Rider is seen as a landmark countercultural film as it explores crucial issues, especially prominent during the 1960s, concerning hippie culture, drug use, and tensions towards youths. It’s an impactful and powerful film that sees the main characters experience bigotry thrown their way and experience different types of crowds. After a bad drug trip, they question if they will ever really find peace in America. The film's themes and overall feeling are captured well by one of its most prominent songs, "Born To Be Wild” by the band Steppenwolf.
Check out the full Easy Rider soundtrack here.
The Virgin Suicides
James Woods
Kathleen Turner
Kirsten Dunst
Josh Hartnett
Michael Paré
Scott Glenn
Danny DeVito
A.J. Cook
Hanna Hall
Leslie Hayman
Chelse Swain
Anthony DeSimone
The Virgin Suicides is a 1999 film directed by Sofia Coppola and based on the novel by Jeffery Eugenides. It’s a bit of a cult classic that sees a group of neighborhood boys in their adulthood reflect on their relationship with the closed-off Lisbon sisters. It’s a film that demonstrates the angst of adolescence and the pressures of young life incredibly well and has resonated with audiences for years as a result. It’s a beautiful film that has a highly-praised soundtrack. One of the best songs synonymous with the film is the track “Playground Love” by the band Air.
Check out the full The Virgin Suicides soundtrack here.