Modern Times

He stands alone as the greatest entertainer of modern times! No one on earth can make you laugh as heartily or touch your heart as deeply...the whole world laughs, cries and thrills to his priceless genius!

1936 • 87 min • Comedy · Drama · Romance

Join the Angel Guild Write your review Sign in to rate and review

Synopsis

A bumbling tramp desires to build a home with a young woman, yet is thwarted time and time again by his lack of experience and habit of being in the wrong place at the wrong time...

Our family guide

Best from age 7

Movie Knight Score

4135 reviews

100 Reviewers · 2 · 51%
83 Audience · 4133 · 49%

Charlie Chaplin's iconic Little Tramp struggles to survive in a modern industrial world, facing factory work, poverty, and jail. He finds a kindred spirit in an orphaned young woman as they navigate life's challenges and dream of a better future together.

Violence & peril: 2/10
Language: 0/10
Drinking, drugs & smoking: 1/10
Romance & sensuality: 1/10
Scary moments: 2/10

Heads up

The movie is silent with some sound effects and music, which can be different for young viewers.
Characters face hardship and are sometimes treated unfairly.
Scenes depict some dangerous factory machinery.

What it models well

Perseverance and hope
Kindness to strangers
Finding joy in simple things

Talk about it after

How technology can change jobs and daily life
Why people might experience poverty
The importance of helping others

Written by the Movie Knight editorial team for Modern Times. Our own words, our own scoring — always double-check against your family's standards.

Where to watch

Country

Stream

Amazon Prime Video
HBO Max Amazon Channel
YouTube TV
Criterion Channel
HBO Max
Amazon Prime Video with Ads

Free

Kanopy

Free with ads

YouTube Free
Amazon Prime Video Free with Ads
Mometu

Rent

Buy

Links go straight to each service. Some are affiliate links that support Movie Knight at no cost to you. Availability data by JustWatch via TMDB.

Top billed cast

Director: Charlie Chaplin • Crew: Charlie Chaplin

Trailers & clips

Modern Times (1936) ORIGINAL TRAILER [HD 1080p]

Peter Bogdanovich on Charlie Chaplin Film MODERN TIMES

Reviewer notes

Recommended
I wonder how many people watch this nowadays and sympathise immediately with Chaplin's unskilled worker trying to keep up with the relentless march of technology? It starts with him being an unwilling guinea pig for a gadget that appears as useful for cleaning teeth as it is for feeding him - a cunning invention which allegedly saves time, money and increases productivity... Needless to say, it's a crock of the pr...
Geronimo1967, TMDB Community

RecommendedTrusted family reviewers
Really good movie from visionary and fun Charlie Chaplin in which industry literally swallows the human being.
tanty, TMDB Community