Godzilla Minus One
Directed by Takashi YamazakiIn postwar Japan, Godzilla brings new devastation to an already scorched landscape. With no military intervention or government help in sight, the survivors must join together in the face of despair and fight back against an unrelenting horror.
Cast of Godzilla Minus One
Godzilla Minus One Ratings & Reviews
- MechaJayZillaJuly 5, 2025A masterpiece of a Godzilla movie, and a great film overall.
- jackmeatOctober 19, 2024My quick rating - 8.0/10. I’ve been eagerly awaiting my chance to see Godzilla Minus One, especially since it clinched the Oscar for Visual Effects, and it did not disappoint. This latest installment in the Godzilla saga takes us back to postwar Japan, where the iconic monster wreaks havoc on a nation already devastated by war. The story is grounded in the human experience, centering on survivors who, with no military or government support, must band together to confront this unstoppable force of nature. The visual effects are breathtaking, and it’s easy to see why the film won its Oscar. From the meticulously recreated 1940s cityscapes to the terrifyingly lifelike Godzilla, the effects team managed to bring the monster to life in a way that’s both modern and nostalgic. There’s a particularly striking scene where Godzilla marches upright through a downtown area, toppling buildings in a clear homage to the original films. It’s a powerful blend of old and new, honoring the franchise’s roots while pushing the boundaries of what modern technology can achieve. But this movie isn’t just about the spectacle. The human characters are given depth and significance, with the story focusing on their struggle for survival and their determination to fight back. The little girl’s role is especially poignant, adding an emotional layer that’s often missing in monster movies. The war cry speech, delivered to rally the citizens, is well-written and genuinely stirring, encapsulating the film’s theme of resilience in the face of overwhelming odds. The period recreation is also spot-on. Everything from the buildings and military equipment to the everyday costumes feels authentic, transporting the audience back to the 1940s. The decision to portray Godzilla as the villain again, a force that humanity must figure out how to stop, brings the franchise full circle, echoing the tone of the original 1954 film. The movie wraps up with a feel-good ending that’s both satisfying and true to the spirit of the Godzilla legacy. While I’ve enjoyed the Godzilla vs. Kong films from Hollywood, Godzilla Minus One stands out as the best overall Godzilla movie I’ve seen. It’s a visually stunning, emotionally engaging, and thematically rich addition to the franchise.
- RickFebruary 12, 2025I went in expecting a good movie based on word of mouth, I wasn't expecting one of the best movies I've ever seen. The perspective of a post war Japan from the Japanese side, the emotional gut punches, and the city smashing were all top notch.
- PapaHendoJune 22, 2025The best Godzilla film in the entire series
- Nathan MagretaJune 21, 2025Amazing retelling of such an iconic story. They put a monster that people have shown in multiple ways into a time where japan is in chaos, with amazing acting, sound, and story, and it is one of the best films ever. Definitely the best of 2023.
- Lucas MagretaJuly 3, 2025this was pretty good. I went to see this the day after it came out but I didn't like it that much. this received great reviews but I would not give it one of those. a lot of bad storyline. and that just made the movie worse
- Kevin WardJuly 2, 2025Liked it even more on second watch. Proud of moviegoers continuing to support this film. It was a 100% packed house tonight a full 7 weeks (I think) after release. There was even a couple that had bought both tickets on each side of my wife and I and just asked us if we wouldn’t mind sliding over one seat. Love seeing films in a packed house.
- ElecMoHwkMay 1, 2025Watching it as an English dub, it has absolutely all of the Hallmark qualities of one of the classics.!!
- D DollyMarch 27, 2025Fantastic from start to finish. I hope they make more like this.
- tyrrellseMarch 9, 2025The best Godzilla movie to ever be made.
- VarunOctober 19, 2024Decent Kaiju movie. I can’t believe how good the CGI was on a 15 mil budget, the Oscar was well deserved. It was a great choice to set it at the end of WW2, giving humans a more limited military capacity to deal with a big monster, forcing them to construct an out of box way of dealing with it. And it’s the perfect chance to explore the psyche of post-war Japan. The characters were all well written and had a good dynamic with each other. The movie is perfectly paced with not a single second wasted. It felt very sincere and focused. However I don’t think I bought the hype that this movie has been getting. Hollywood has been employing Marvel-type comedification of the story and characters in every blockbuster and people are sick and tired of the jokes, so here comes along a serious plot and everyone goes crazy for it calling it a masterpiece. To me it felt like a good monster movie to pass the time, not really a must watch. Also not to diminish the protagonist’s inner turmoil, but his acting during scenes of crying and madness were cringe to watch. Also spoiler alert, I don’t think they should’ve brought Noriko back to life, it was a cheap cliche moment. It’s confirmed, a toddler’s cries are louder than Gojira’s roars. I’ve watched all the Monsterverse movies and I can’t recall a single thing about them lol, but I’ll remember Godzilla Minus One because it’s miles better than anything Hollywood has produced recently, and they should be taking tons of lessons from Anime and the Japanese film industry.
- PapaHamzehMarch 6, 2025Tied for the the best Godzilla movie ever made.
- Toronto122March 1, 2025Simply put, this is the best Godzilla movie. From start to finish. Awesome.
- RazorbitzFebruary 22, 2025The King is back. Growing up with kaiju of all kinds, and a variety of Godzillas besides, this might be the first time I've felt that the big lizard reached his true potential since the original without needing to take any departures from what makes the King the King. What makes it work is in the sublimely told narrative following a post-war japan as it grapples with its own post-war brutality and how to move forward as a nation, providing historically accurate set-pieces that highlighted a rarely observed opposite in tender clarity. Take Godzilla out entirely and you still get an incredible movie--but what is delivered with the Nuclear Titan is something beyond comprehension--and on a budget so pitiful it makes me wonder how so many billions need to be spent before Hollywood realizes how wasteful their current process has become. As a horror buff I can't ignore that opening; my god what a masterpiece in itself. Cut it out and it made standalone it would still be some of the best Godzilla content delivered in the last 50 years; but working as the inciting incident sets up one of the most emotionally affecting payoffs I've experienced in a long time. What a triumph. What a joy to be a fan of the big man these days. Can't wait for the follow up in a few years.
- Hipster ZOMBIEFebruary 19, 2025Godzilla. Post War Japan. Composer Alira Ifukube’s thunderous Godzilla march playing throughout. This is the Godzilla film we have been waiting for and the only film in the storied franchise to ever win an Academy Award. Directed by Takashi Yamazaki, this 2023 film returns to the post-war setting of 1945 Japan, blending gripping human drama with awe-inspiring kaiju action. The result is a Godzilla film that is both emotionally resonant and visually spectacular. Unlike many previous Godzilla films, Minus One is deeply focused on its human protagonist, Koichi Shikishima (Ryunosuke Kamiki), a kamikaze pilot who abandons his mission and is haunted by survivor’s guilt. As he struggles to rebuild his life in war-ravaged Japan, a new terror emerges—Godzilla, more menacing than ever. The film excels in portraying the psychological toll of war, making its characters feel raw and compelling rather than mere spectators to destruction. It’s a testament to the film’s overall story to deliver us human characters whose stories are so compelling that you don’t even miss when Godzilla isn’t on the screen. That is this film’s greatest achievement.
- Rowan KrzysiakJanuary 28, 2025Pretty terrible characters delivering terrible dialogue in pretty stupid scenarios. It's some typically Japanese melodramatic guff. That said there's a fairly interesting 15 minutes or so where the lizard stomps around old skool Ginza. Disappointing.
- Desmond DaleJanuary 24, 2025A complete retro enhancement in the way the film is able to capture the spectacle of the classic Gojira films while also weaving in a fully fleshed out human element that makes its denoument more effective. It takes material that could easily be construed as cheesy and silly and warps it into a serious action drama.
- TanalienJanuary 9, 2025The movie gets us in the seat by promoting the monster, but we stay because of these characters. Godzilla Minus One is about the synthesis of characters – both human and monster. The film’s writer-director, Takashi Yamazaki, has learned the right lessons from years of forgettable, uninvolving franchise films. This is a character drama … in a Godzilla movie! With such a limited budget for a movie that feels very large, Godzilla Minus One should be an inspiration to cash-strapped filmmakers. For filmgoers, it is an example of the power of cinematic fundamentals. With its strong focus on character and a great sense of scale to the VFX work, I would bet that few sensed the film’s unusually small budget!
