Criterion Channel App

I downloaded the Criterion Channel app last week because my film professor kept referencing movies I couldn't find on any other streaming service. The interface immediately stood out. Browsing is organized by director, country, decade, and genre all at once, so you can fall into a rabbit hole of Japanese New Wave films or 1970s American independent cinema without planning to. Most streaming apps want you to watch whatever they're promoting that week. Criterion assumes you already care about film and just need a way to navigate the catalog. Recommendations feel assembled by someone who actually watches movies rather than an algorithm optimizing for watch time. The app doesn't try to autoplay trailers or interrupt with pop-ups, and the simple black-and-white design lets the movie posters do the visual work. My roommate thinks it's too niche, but that is exactly why it works for the people who use it.