Cinema history dates back further than the 1910s, but the first "complete" decade considered in terms of feature films is these years. The period before 1910 was one where films longer than a few minutes were quite rare. If the first decade of the 20th century is lacking, the current decade, the 2020s, is similarly not fully packed. During this decade, great films like Sinners, Everything Everywhere All at Once, and Aftersun have been released, but it would be more appropriate to wait for this decade to truly conclude before making a fair assessment.

Instead of completed decades (there are 10 complete decades from the 1920s to the 2010s), ranking the best five decades makes more sense. This is quite a challenging task; even giving a few examples for each decade makes it impossible to pass over the best films of each era. Therefore, many great films will not be mentioned. Additionally, five decades that contain at least a few great films will not be ranked, but they may be worth discussing in relation to the specific decades listed below.

The 1980s can be summarized as the "blockbuster decade." While the first blockbusters emerged in the 1970s, the 1980s was a significant period for films appealing to mass audiences. The previous decade was known for auteur-driven films, while the early 1980s is seen as the end of New Hollywood. However, many films released during this period were still quite good. All the Indiana Jones films from the 1980s, the best Star Wars film, The Empire Strikes Back, and American blockbusters like Ghostbusters, The Terminator, Back to the Future, and Aliens were all part of this era.

From an artistic perspective, several directors who have been active since the 1940s produced extremely impressive and ambitious films during this decade; among them are Ingmar Bergman's Fanny and Alexander and Akira Kurosawa's Ran. Perhaps the biggest shortcoming of the 1980s is that they were somewhat more cautious in taking risks compared to the 1960s and 1970s. Additionally, there are some unforgettable and questionable Best Picture winners from this decade.