《摩登時代》雖然是默片，但是實際上它包含聲音，比如收音機和電視機的聲音；卓別林以此來幫助1930年代已經不習慣看默片的觀眾來熟悉默片中觀眾聽不到的對話。這部電影中有一個情節，是卓別林的上司觀察他在洗手間偷偷地抽菸；這個情節比喬治·奧威爾於1948年所寫的《一九八四》中的一個類似的情節早了十多年，而同樣諷刺。《摩登時代》也是第一部可以聽得到卓別林本人的聲音的電影，電影結束時他哼的那支歌是他親自哼的。雖然如此，這部電影一般依然被看作是一部默片。

Abandoned by his father, a young boy is left in the hands of an unqualified childcare provider.

A physician on death row for a mercy killing is allowed to experiment on a serum using a criminals' blood, but secretly tests it on himself. He gets a pardon, but finds out he's become a Jekyll-&-Hyde.

Bob Ford murders his best friend Jesse James in order to obtain a pardon that will free him to marry his girlfriend Cynthy. The guilt-stricken Ford soon finds himself greeted with derision and open mockery throughout town. He travels to Colorado to try his hand at prospecting in hopes that marriage with Cynthy is still in the cards.

It's just after the Civil War in Kansas and Joan Randall and her troops are continuing the struggle. Jeff Conners is sent to bring her in and when he does she is found guilt and sentenced to hang. Earlier Jeff learned that her assistant Colonel Jedcott is the real culprit and rides to the Governor for a pardon only to be waylaid by Jedcott on the return trip.

A quest for redemption is unfolding in Washington, D.C. Thanks to forward-looking “Second Chance” legislation, three men who were sentenced in their youth to life in prison have the chance to plead for release.