It may be the first week of November, but one of the best Black Friday sales for physical media collectors has already kicked off. Barnes & Noble has officially launched a 50% discount on The Criterion Collection that lasts until December 7. That's a full month of deals, so you can take your time scrolling for a solid spread of movies. I'd recommend approaching it as your own month-long Closet Picks interview.
50% Off The Criterion Collection at Barnes & Noble
The Criterion Collection includes well over 1,000 films on various forms of home video. Criterion’s approach to film preservation is most evident in special “Director Approved” editions that were restored in collaboration with the director themselves. All Criterion releases come loaded with audio commentary tracks (a feature Criterion pioneered) and additional special features. And, of course, they have the coolest cover art in the business.
The Criterion Collection sale at Barnes & Noble applies a 50% discount to all existing releases. Most 4Ks are priced at $49.99, dropping to $24.99. Most Blu-rays are priced at $39.99 and have dropped to $19.99. Finally, standard DVDs are usually $29.99, dropping to $14.99. Collections and special editions deviate from this pricing, but the 50% discount applies across the board.
The major exclusion is preorders releasing after the end date of the sale, December 7. New releases up until then, including Stanley Kubrick’s Eyes Wide Shut, are on the table. The sale applies to online exclusives like the massive Wes Anderson collection and is available in Barnes & Noble stores. You can also expect price-matching at Amazon and Target.
Black Friday Is the Best Time to Add to Your Physical Media Collection
The Criterion Collection usually has two major sales in a year: one in July and one in November. This is the one in November. Otherwise, Criterion has somewhat random flash sales that only last for 24 hours. In other words, this is definitely your best bet for stocking up on gifts ahead of the holidays (including gifts for yourself, I don’t judge).
Barnes & Noble has also launched its annual gift card deal, offering a $10 bonus for every $100 you spend. Individual physical media deals have kicked off in early Black Friday sales at Target and Best Buy. One retailer I’d definitely keep an eye on is Amazon, which featured a “Buy 2, Get 1” deal on movies and books during Black Friday 2024 that I would expect to see return later this month. You can check out our full breakdown of early Black Friday sales and predictions for more details.
Blythe (she/her) is an SEO Coordinator at IGN who spends way too much time in character customization screens and tracking down collectibles.
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