The Graduate and 8 Other Classics to Watch on the Criterion Channel in June

The Criterion Channel is usually excellent at coming up with timely collections, and they haven’t disappointed this month. For June, the industry-renowned film distribution company and streaming service has covered several bases for summer fare, including films centering around swimming pools and a stellar selection of queer cinema to celebrate Pride Month. Criterion is also paying tribute to Gene Hackman by featuring some of the best classic films of the late actor’s career.

With the abundance of eclectic collections, it can be challenging to know where to start or what films to prioritize. So, here’s a guide to the must-watch classics hitting The Criterion Channel this summer to get the most out of your subscription.

9

Addams Family Values

Lest one think Criterion is strictly an arthouse service, it has graced us with the summer treat of Addams Family Values. The 1993 sequel stands out strangely tall over its predecessor by giving the kooky family more enjoyable activities to do. Gomez (Raul Julia) and Morticia (Angelica Houston) have a new baby, Fester (Christopher Lloyd) gets engaged to a serial killer, and the adolescent Wednesday (Christina Ricci) and Pugsley (Jimmy Workman) experience the joys and (mostly) pains of summer camp.

Barry Sonnenfeld’s direction is on point with the right amount of dark humor and absurdity. The performances of Julia, Houston, and Lloyd were already superb in the previous movie, but Values makes excellent use of their talents. Of course, the highlight of the film is Ricci as Wednesday, leading a Thanksgiving-themed war on her discriminating camp counselors. It’s a much more rebellious depiction when compared to the mystery-solving iteration from the Netflix show.

8

The Watermelon Woman

For those seeking some intersectionality, The Watermelon Woman is an inspiring indie dramedy about Black lesbians. Writer/director Cheryl Dunye plays a version of herself working at a video store while also filming a documentary about a lost Black actress. While she seeks the elusive classic-movie actress credited only as “The Watermelon Woman,” Cheryl discovers more about herself and the history of queer people of color that has been buried in obscurity.

Dunye’s small film was a labor of love, cobbled together from various grants and donations, and was dedicated to African-American acting trailblazers like Hattie McDaniel and Butterfly McQueen. Through the modern lens of a 90s lesbian, Dunye paints a more thoughtful approach to examining the past. Although the film and the actresses she tracks down are fictional, Dunye’s direction is so bluntly earnest in its exploration of secrets and disappointment that it feels real in its thematic edge.

7

Paris Is Burning

Paris Is Burning is one of the essential documentaries ever made on drag queens and transgender women. The film gets up close and personal with the many Black and Latino members of the New York City drag community of the 80s, divulging all the hardships and pageantry that come with this life. Aspects of homophobia, transphobia, and racism are also covered as the film reveals an intimate portrait of a lifestyle yet to be more openly accepted.

As the directorial debut of Jennie Livingston, Paris Is Burning was remarkably ahead of its time in its presentation of intersectionality and queer communities. Everything from the definition of vogue to the risky lifestyle of sex work is followed through the film’s footage and explored with candid, blunt interviews. It’s a documentary that is as relevant today as it was when it was released in 1990.

6

Night Moves

Director Arthur Penn gave Gene Hackman a meaty role in the neo-noir sleeper Night Moves. Hackman plays Harry Moseby, a football player-turned-private investigator. While searching for the teenage daughter of a former movie actress, Harry stumbles into a complex web of sex and deceit.

Hackman’s performance is what makes Night Moves a more memorable film than just another detective thriller. He throws himself deeply into the psychological tale, which takes the viewer to some dark and unexpected places. You won’t want to miss the ending, which ties everything together in an intense and gruesome climax.

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5

The Heroic Trio

Before Michelle Yeoh was kicking butt in Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon, she teamed up with two other badass women in The Heroic Trio. Yeoh plays Ching, a woman with the power of invisibility who is serving her evil baby-snatching master. She ends up joining forces with the sword-swinging Wonder Woman (Anita Mui) and the shotgun-wielding Thief Catcher (Maggie Cheung) to stop the mysterious and subterranean forces of an evil cult.

The Heroic Trio is one of the wildest examples of Hong Kong cinema you’ll find, embracing a campy comic book tone to its tale of superheroes, magic, and, um, baby kidnapping. The three leads have the perfect chemistry and charge forward with enough bravery to be seen in dorky costumes while engaged in combat. It also features one of the most uproarious endings of any Hong Kong action film, where the three women engage in a battle with a skeleton.

If you like your action films tongue-in-cheek with weirdness, this is one you shouldn’t miss, including its sequel, which is one of the few films deserving of a continuation.

4

The Graduate

When talking about classic summer movies where a swimming pool features as a powerful symbol, it’s hard to think of a more iconic usage than 1967s The Graduate. Recent college grad Benjamin Braddock (Dustin Hoffman) finds himself stewing in the water while trying to find something to do with his life. He’s at an odd turning point in his life when he engages in a sexual affair with the seductive Mrs. Robinson (Anne Bancroft), which complicates his developing relationship with her daughter, Elaine (Katharine Ross).

As a moody summer fling, there’s so much iconography within The Graduate, with scenes from the film being parodied and paid homage to countless times in everything from The Simpsons and Wayne’s World 2 to Mad Men, Archer, Family Guy and more. The music of Simon & Garfunkel features throughout the film, and it includes such scenes as the iconically-blocked seduction moment where Mrs. Robinson’s leg arches over Benjamin, before he utters the line that remains etched in memory—“Mrs. Robinson, you’re trying to seduce me.” The editing is also remarkable, featuring one of the best transitions from getting out of a pool and straight into bed.

3

The French Connection

Director William Friedkin helmed one of the grittiest detective movies of the 1970s with The French Connection. The film stars Gene Hackman and Roy Scheider as detectives Popeye and Cloudy, respectively, working the streets of New York City to bust drug dealers. The investigation of the mastermind, Charnier (Fernando Rey), becomes a more arduous ordeal due to Popeye’s brutal tactics, which don’t always work.

Based on the true story of detective Eddie Egan, The French Connection doesn’t pull its punches. Popeye is portrayed as a ruthless and racist detective, more than willing to shoot his people in the back, while Charnier is a more refined gentleman of the drug trade. The film also features one of the most intense car chases of the decade, with Popeye racing to keep up with a train.

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2

Purple Noon

Before his remarkable performance in Le Samouraï, actor Alain Delon got his start in the mesmerizing Purple Noon. Based on the novel The Talented Mr. Ripley, Delon plays Tom Ripley, an American tasked with charming the playboy Philippe Greenleaf (Maurice Ronet) out of Italy. But the mission takes some odd turns when sex and violence enter the equation.

Directed by René Clément, the film boasts a seductive charm, with Delon dominating the screen. It does diverge from the source material in some respects, but the stunning camerawork and pitch-perfect acting make this film so irresistibly gorgeous. Check out just how well Delon’s portrayal holds up to future interpretations, as the other Ripley films are available on the Criterion Channel as well.

1

The Conversation

While Gene Hackman has graced plenty of neo-noir films, none are more revered than The Conversation. Hackman plays surveillance agent Harry Caul, who is recording audio of a couple for a client. As he listens further, he uncovers a murder plot that makes him grow increasingly anxious.

While Hackman is at his finest in this Oscar-nominated film, you can’t forget the incredible supporting cast, which boasts a pre-Star Wars Harrison Ford, the underrated John Cazale, and a surprise appearance by Robert Duvall. Director Francis Ford Coppola keeps the investigation tight and intimate, where eavesdropping has never been so intensely portrayed on film. You’ll never look at recording equipment or hotel rooms the same way again.

The Criterion Channel’s offering this June has a little bit of everything. Whether you’re thinking about the late Gene Hackman’s greatest roles or have a hankering for The Addams Family, there’s a classic for every occasion. It’s a perfect mixture of essential and comforting films to beat the heat.