The Top Movies from Each Decade, Based on Rotten Tomatoes Ratings

      Here are the top movies from each decade, as ranked by Rotten Tomatoes.

      These films guide us from the era of silent cinema to the contemporary age, where filmmaking appears increasingly challenged.

      Before diving into the list, let’s clarify the methodology behind it.

      Paulette Goddard in a film you will soon learn more about. United Artists

      Rotten Tomatoes generates scores for films by aggregating critics’ reviews. This list was compiled by selecting the leading film from each decade from the site’s list of the 300 Best Movies of All Time. That list was formed by merging the Tomatometer rating, which reflects critics’ reviews, with audience ratings on the Popcornmeter.

      We begin with the 1920s since there were no films from earlier decades on the 300 Best Movies of All Time list.

      Now, here are the second-best films of every decade, according to Rotten Tomatoes.

      1920s — The Kid (1921)

      Credit: First National Pictures

      Charlie Chaplin’s first full-length directorial film features him (who also wrote and produced) as his cherished Little Tramp character.

      He discovers an abandoned infant left by his impoverished, unwed mother. The Tramp adopts the boy (Jackie Coogan) as his son and partner. Then, the boy’s mother (Edna Purviance) returns to the scene.

      The film was a significant box office hit and was chosen for preservation in the United States National Film Registry by the Library of Congress.

      It did not win any Oscars, as the Academy Awards only began in 1929.

      1930s — Modern Times (1936)

      Credit: United Artists

      Charlie Chaplin made a profound impact on the film industry, and Rotten Tomatoes acknowledges him with the top film of the 1930s.

      Modern Times showcases Chaplin’s final appearance as the Little Tramp, depicting his character's struggle to survive in an increasingly mechanized society. Its themes remain strikingly relevant today, 90 years later, in an era where robots threaten human jobs. Such was Chaplin's brilliance.

      Once more, Chaplin wrote, produced, directed, and starred in the film, which also features Paulette Goddard as Ellen Peterson, also known as "The Gamin."

      It was among the first 25 films selected by the Library of Congress for preservation in the National Film Registry due to its cultural, historical, or aesthetic significance.

      1940s — Casablanca (1942)

      Credit: C/O

      Rotten Tomatoes ranks Casablanca as not only the top film of the 1940s but also the finest film ever produced by Warner Bros.

      A rapid-paced masterpiece directed by Michael Curtiz, Casablanca merges grand storytelling with tragic romance and features some of the wittiest dialogue imaginable. Upon its release, it served as a powerful denunciation of fascism, and its messages remain timely.

      When people express their love for classic cinema, this is often the film they reference.

      1950s — The Seven Samurai (1954)

      Credit: Toho Co., Ltd

      The Seven Samurai is one of Akira Kurosawa's numerous exceptional works, and he is regarded as one of the greatest directors in cinematic history. This film has been remade and referenced countless times.

      Western audiences might most recognize it through the classic Western remake, The Magnificent Seven, or its 2016 version, but its influence can also be seen in films like the original Star Wars.

      The Seven Samurai holds the No. 2 spot overall on Rotten Tomatoes' 300 Best Movies of All Time list, alongside two other films from the 1950s: Rear Window and On the Waterfront, both released in 1954.

      1960s — The Battle of Algiers (1966)

      Credit: Criterion Collection

      The Battle of Algiers received a notable mention in Paul Thomas Anderson’s recent Oscar-winning film, One Battle After Another.

      An Italian-Algerian collaboration, the film, co-written and directed by Gillo Pontecorvo, is based on the rebels' struggles against the French during the Algerian War and was filmed on location with many non-professional actors who experienced the real events. The stirring score was co-composed by Pontecorvo and Ennio Morricone.

      The film faced so much censorship in France that it wasn't screened there for five years, yet it is widely regarded as one of the greatest films of all time.

      1970s — The Godfather (1972)

      Credit: Paramount

      This is the No. 1 film on Rotten Tomatoes' list of the 300 Best Movies of All Time.

      Directed by Francis Ford Coppola and featuring Al Pacino, Marlon Brando, Diane Keaton, James Caan, and Robert Duvall, The Godfather is an expertly crafted narrative about crime, family, and the complexities of the American dream.

      It won the Oscars for Best Picture, Best Actor for Brando, and Best Adapted Screen