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

      Here are the top-rated movies from each decade, according to Rotten Tomatoes.

      These films take us from the era of silent cinema to today's landscape, which feels increasingly threatened.

      Before we dive into the list, let’s explain how we compiled it.

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

      Rotten Tomatoes calculates movie scores by aggregating critics’ reviews. We created this list by selecting the top film from each decade based on the site’s compilation of the 300 Best Movies of All Time. That list was formed by combining the Tomatometer rating, which reflects critics' reviews, with audience ratings from the Popcornmeter.

      We start with the 1920s since no films from earlier decades made it onto the list of the 300 Best Movies of All Time.

      Now, here are the top-rated movies from every decade according to Rotten Tomatoes.

      1920s — The Kid (1921)

      Credit: First National Pictures

      Charlie Chaplin’s first feature film as a director stars Chaplin himself, who also wrote and produced the film, portraying his cherished Little Tramp character.

      In this story, the Tramp discovers an abandoned baby left by his destitute, unwed mother. He adopts the boy (Jackie Coogan) as his son and partner. However, the boy’s mother (Edna Purviance) soon reappears.

      The film was a tremendous box office triumph and was chosen for preservation by the United States National Film Registry at the Library of Congress.

      It didn’t win any Oscars, as the awards didn’t begin until 1929.

      1930s — Modern Times (1936)

      Credit: United Artists

      Charlie Chaplin’s significant impact on film is evident as he also holds the top spot for the 1930s according to Rotten Tomatoes.

      Modern Times features Chaplin’s final performance as the Little Tramp, showcasing the character’s struggle to survive in an increasingly mechanized society. Its themes resonate profoundly today, 90 years later, in an age where robots are replacing human jobs. Chaplin’s genius shines through in this work.

      Written, produced, directed by, and starring Chaplin, the film also features Paulette Goddard as Ellen Peterson, known as “The Gamin.”

      It was among the first 25 films selected by the Library of Congress for preservation in the National Film Registry for its “culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant” contributions.

      1940s — Casablanca (1942)

      Credit: C/O

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

      This fast-paced masterpiece, directed by Michael Curtiz, blends epic storytelling, tragic romance, and some of the wittiest dialogue imaginable. Upon its release, it served as a timely rallying cry against fascism, and its message remains strikingly relevant today.

      When discussing classic films, this is often the one that comes to mind.

      1950s — The Seven Samurai (1954)

      Credit: Toho Co., Ltd

      One of the many exceptional films by Akira Kurosawa, a legendary director, The Seven Samurai has been remade and emulated countless times.

      Western viewers may recognize its influence in the classic Western The Magnificent Seven or its 2016 remake, but its impact is also evident in films like the original Star Wars.

      The Seven Samurai is rated No. 2 on Rotten Tomatoes’ 300 Best Movies of All Time list and is one of three films from the 1950s featured; the others are Rear Window and On the Waterfront, both released in 1954.

      1960s — The Battle of Algiers (1966)

      Credit: Criterion Collection

      The Battle of Algiers received recognition in the latest film that won the Oscar for Best Picture, Paul Thomas Anderson’s One Battle After Another.

      This Italian-Algerian film, co-written and directed by Gillo Pontecorvo, centers on the rebels' conflict with the French government during the Algerian War and was filmed using many non-professional actors who experienced the real events. Its moving score was composed by Pontecorvo and Ennio Morricone.

      The film was deemed so provocative in France that it wasn’t screened there for five years, yet it is widely regarded as one of the greatest films ever made.

      1970s — The Godfather (1972)

      Credit: Paramount

      This film stands as the No. 1 movie on Rotten Tomatoes’ list of the 300 Best Films of All Time.

      Directed by Francis Ford Coppola and featuring a cast that includes Al Pacino, Marlon Brando, Diane Keaton, James Caan, and Robert Duvall, The Godfather is an iconic film exploring crime, family, and the complexities of the American dream.

      It won Best Picture, Best Actor for Brando, and Best Adapted Screenplay