Jim Jarmusch Picks His Favorite Films from the The Criterion Collection

Jim Jarmusch Picks His Favorite Films from the The Criterion Collection Jim Jarmusch—the director of Stranger Than Paradise, Down by Law, and Dead Man—recently stepped into The Criterion Collection closet to share the films that shaped his aesthetic sensibility. In the next three minutes, Jarmusch pays tribute to a box set of Pier Paolo Pasolini’s 1960s films, along with Andrei Tarkovsky’s Mirror, placing it even above Stalker and Andrei Rublev. Along the way, he name checks a number of other classics. And then, with a bag full of DVDs in hand, he concludes: “I love Criterion. I always say the Criterion Channel is my drug of choice.” For anyone interested, you can start watching films on the Criterion Channel’s streaming service by signing up for a free trial here. If you would like to sign up for Open Culture’s free email newsletter, please find it here. It’s a great way to see our new posts, all bundled in one email, each day. If you would like to support the mission of

Added 25 Mar 2026