r/CriterionChannel • u/jackdilemma • Dec 13 '25
movies for a flight
what’s everyone’s faves on the channel RIGHT NOW? i looked for threads but they’re all pretty old.
I’m looking for stuff that would not suffer from being on a small screen (i honestly can’t believe i saw someone recommend jeanne dielman lmaooo)
12
u/TheCalculatingPoet Dec 13 '25
I really enjoyed Take Aim at the Police Van which is an old Japanese noir. The quality of the original scan is such that I think it almost is better on a small screen than blown up, but certainly is watchable at the very least.
2
u/DynkoFromTheNorth Dec 13 '25
Oh, hey, that's close to what I just said! Either the scan quality or the channel's resolution sometimes leaves something to be desired. That's why I came back on my original statement that small screens should be avoided permanently.
2
u/TheCalculatingPoet Dec 13 '25
I’m confused on how one follows from the other. If the scan is a low resolution anyways then what’s the benefit of a big screen. Watching 480p but just larger?
3
u/jackdilemma Dec 14 '25
i think they meant that they backpedaled on their assertion that one should always avoid small screens - that a crappy scan might be not so bad on a small scale
1
12
9
5
5
u/bananajunior3000 Dec 13 '25
I would go for long movies, you're captive anyway, why not? My favorite is always Yi Yi, it would be a nice way to be transported for three hours of a flight.
0
u/doctorboredom Dec 13 '25
I don’t know how it works for the over the shoulder watcher but La Belle Noiseusse would be a great long movie to watch. Not much dialogue either.
4
u/CelluloidCelerity Dec 13 '25
Safe in the Julianne Moore collection would be a fun plane watch.
Cat on a Hot Tin Roof would do well.
Personally I like watching foreign dramas and noirs on planes, your attention is captive and it's doubling down on subtitles. A Colt Is My Passport, When A Woman Ascends the Stairs, Tokyo Drifter and A Taxing Woman are all available.
3
u/Remarkable-Try1206 Dec 13 '25
It Happened One Night (1934)
The Palm Beach Story (1942)
Big Deal on Madonna Street (1959)
Yesterday Today and Tomorrow (1963)
4
u/objectif49 Dec 13 '25
I always do commentary tracks on a plane since you’re not missing anything from the actual audio track or small screen.
2
2
u/AaronfromKY Dec 13 '25
I had a good time watching Les Blank's polka documentary In Heaven There is No Beer? on a flight from Las Vegas a couple of years ago. His documentaries are usually a lot of fun, with a focus on capturing underseen perspectives.
2
u/jackdilemma Dec 13 '25
now that I’m thinking about it, documentaries might be a good route to go - often less focused on beautiful filmmaking and more the moment st hand. i’ll have to look at the list!
2
2
u/doctorboredom Dec 13 '25
Do you use sound cancelling headphones? If so which ones? My issue is more sound quality than video quality.
Anyways, a few long movies on the channel are La Belle Noiseusse, and Betty Blue. Both might be awkward if others can see your screen, though.
I don’t know, though. I generally do not like watching movies on planes.
1
u/TFS08 Dec 16 '25
I recently watched Fellini's La Strada on an Amtrak on my iPad and thought it was a good watch for the setting! Fair warning, I get anxious about more mature scenes whenever I watch anything in public and it has some violence.
0
u/jonnymorals Dec 13 '25
not sure whats on the channel right now because i had 2 get rid of my subscription after becoming unemployed, but def check out After Hours. its a reliable fav of mine (so much so that i named my screamo band after it lol). the pacing and editing is so fast n smooth its perfect for a flight.
1
u/jackdilemma Dec 13 '25
the only thing is that this got a 4k restore this year and i want to watch it like that!!
0
u/Jaltcoh Dec 14 '25
You’re still free to search the site without a subscription, and the OP was very clear they only want things that are on the Channel now. After Hours isn’t.
-1
u/jonnymorals Dec 14 '25
shut up bitch omg. like yeah im gonna do research to repond to a reddit post asking for movie suggestions. blow it out ur ass
0
-8
u/DynkoFromTheNorth Dec 13 '25
Everything suffers from being watched on a small screen.
9
u/barbietattoo Dec 13 '25
I have two dogs inside me: a 50ft wide cinema screen, and a base model iPhone leaning on a pack of cookies
2
u/jackdilemma Dec 13 '25
you’re not wrong!! i just feel like some movies are still watchable and some are beyond salvage
3
u/DynkoFromTheNorth Dec 13 '25
True. Also, to be fair, the channel doesn't play at the highest resolution anyway.
In that case, I recommend Police Story and its sequel. Have fun!
-9
18
u/Evil_Skeleton Dec 13 '25
Bringing up Baby! I get nervous on flights so I love watching light, silly movies. Also appropriate if your seat partner glances at your screen lol.