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8.5/10
Senior Film Conservator
A definitive 8.5/10 rating for a film that redefined the boundaries of cult cinema. Modern Times remains a cornerstone of transgressive art.
If you like movies that actually move, yes. If you need dialogue to hold your hand, you’re going to be bored. This is for people who like physical comedy that hurts just a little bit to watch.
Modern Times is a loud, metallic mess in the best way. Chaplin is basically fighting the 20th century with his bare hands.
The factory sequence is legendary for a reason. You can almost feel the grease on your own clothes. Watching him get sucked into those giant gears is still genuinely stressful, even if you know he’s going to pop out the other side fine.
It feels a bit like Soup to Nuts in how it just lets the chaos run, but with way more heart. The rhythm is frantic. It never stops to catch its breath.
There’s this moment where he’s just… feeding a machine. It’s supposed to be funny, but it’s kind of terrifying? You watch him lose his mind just trying to keep up with the conveyor belt. I think we’ve all felt that way on a Tuesday.
The movie doesn't have much of a plot, really. It’s just a collection of bad days that happen to be hilarious. Sometimes it feels like it drags a little during the singing part, but hey, I guess even geniuses have to pad the runtime.
It’s not as polished as some of the stuff coming out today, but who cares? It has more soul in one of his tumbles than most modern blockbusters have in two hours. 🤖⚙️
It makes me think of Hallelujah in how it captures a very specific, sweaty kind of American struggle. Only, you know, with more slapstick.
Anyway, watch it. Even if you think you don't like old movies. It’s pretty hard to hate this one.