Modern Times

98% Tomatometer 113 Reviews 95% Audience Score 25,000+ Ratings This comedic masterpiece finds the iconic Little Tramp (Charlie Chaplin) employed at a state-of-the-art factory where the inescapable machinery completely overwhelms him, and where various mishaps keep getting him sent to prison. In between his various jail stints, he meets and befriends an orphan girl (Paulette Goddard). Both together and apart, they try to contend with the difficulties of modern life, with the Tramp working as a waiter and eventually a performer. Read More Read Less

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Modern Times

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Critics Consensus

A slapstick skewering of industrialized America, Modern Times is as politically incisive as it is laugh-out-loud hilarious.

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Critics Reviews

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Ella H. McCormick

Detroit Free Press

Several high spots stand out as notable examples of Chaplin's expert timing of slapstick burlesque, scenes that are apt to make the spectator shed tears from the strain of laughter.

May 6, 2021

Full Review

Mildred Martin

Philadelphia Inquirer

There are reminders of every Chaplin picture that was ever made all through Modern Times and there are enough brand new comic inventions to explain why Charlie takes such a long time between pictures and why they are so superlatively worth waiting for.

May 6, 2021

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Mae Tinee

Chicago Tribune

What most amazes you about Modern Times, is the fact that, in this day of superfine sound films, it says everything without saying anything.

May 6, 2021

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Jeremy Carr

Vague Visages

Emblematic of a ‘Hollywood realism,’ with a rather immaculate industrial setting, strategically tattered clothing and deliberately designed destitution.

Nov 15, 2023

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Sean Axmaker

Stream on Demand

The surreal scene of Chaplin being wound through the gears of the factory machinery remains one of the most iconic images in film history: the little guy who manages not to get ground up in the machine.

Jun 11, 2023

Full Review

Brian Eggert

Deep Focus Review

Modern Times was Chaplin's last brilliant foray into that singular craft that made him a great artist: a pantomime.

Rated: 4/4

Mar 21, 2022

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Audience Reviews

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Ali Stevenson I love Modern Times so much I came back for the second showing! See my earlier post. Rated 5/5 Stars • Rated 5 out of 5 stars 06/20/21 Full Review Savannah G Charlie Chaplin is a legend for a reason this film brings out the stresses that we even feel up to this day. He mirrored the day's real issues and made them relatable even to our time. The staging and even the seamless editing for the time are remarkable. Humour spilled throughout, and I found myself really laughing at small moments and cartoon-like humour that brought out what my kid-like comedy would enjoy. This movie is a standard, made evident by how thought out and cheerful yet gloomy it proves to be. Love: This quickly shows why Chaplin is as revered as he is. Rated 4.5/5 Stars • Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars 06/05/24 Full Review Dinos K Perfection, Great movie. The prison scenes are all comedy gold Rated 5/5 Stars • Rated 5 out of 5 stars 05/05/24 Full Review John R Fun movie with a soul focus on physical comedy with industrial America as its stage. Rated 4/5 Stars • Rated 4 out of 5 stars 04/07/24 Full Review Lars N The setpieces are iconic Rated 4.5/5 Stars • Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars 03/24/24 Full Review Eric L My favorite film of all time! Rated 5/5 Stars • Rated 5 out of 5 stars 01/31/24 Full Review Read all reviews

Modern Times

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Cast & Crew

Charlie Chaplin Director Charlie Chaplin A Factory Worker Paulette Goddard A Gamin Henry Bergman Care Proprietor Tiny Sandford Big Bill Chester Conklin Mechanic

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Modern Times

Modern Times (1936)

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Movie Info

Synopsis This comedic masterpiece finds the iconic Little Tramp (Charlie Chaplin) employed at a state-of-the-art factory where the inescapable machinery completely overwhelms him, and where various mishaps keep getting him sent to prison. In between his various jail stints, he meets and befriends an orphan girl (Paulette Goddard). Both together and apart, they try to contend with the difficulties of modern life, with the Tramp working as a waiter and eventually a performer.

Director: Charlie Chaplin
Producer: Charlie Chaplin
Screenwriter: Charlie Chaplin
Distributor: United Artists
Production Co: Charles Chaplin Productions
Rating: G
Genre: Comedy
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Feb 5, 1936, Wide
Release Date (Streaming): May 22, 2017
Box Office (Gross USA): $163.2K
Runtime: 1h 29m
Sound Mix: Mono
Aspect Ratio: Flat (1.37:1)

Modern Times | Rotten Tomatoes (2024)

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