Godzilla Minus One [2023] – Ryunosuke Kamiki, Minami Hamabe

Godzilla Minus One is a kaiju movie that remains truly compelling between the scenes of mass destruction with engaging human stories anchoring the action.

Written and directed by Takashi Yamazaki, this is the first Godzilla movie that made me feel afraid. Yes, it has its low and almost boring points. But when he shows up, you can instantly feel the dominating and destructive energy. In fact, the details for the monster are by far better than any movie in this franchise produced by Hollywood.

Sure, you have seen the monster before but this is Godzilla at his very best, and scariest; A fun action film that also has a compelling story to be more than just chaos. Most impressive is the writing and the emotional depth of the story being told. It’s not about the monster and his destruction path, it’s about the human side of it.

Yes, I left them movie not knowing what’s the monster’s reason for doing any of this. I grew up with the american version where he was always pissed at something. Here? It starts out of the blue, and ends out of the blue. That would be one of my very few issues with this movie.

In fact, I would have preferred the movie to be 10 to 15 minutes shorter, and it would have been perfect. Some scenes (without the monster) felt a bit dragged. Maybe it’s the cultural difference? Who knows. All in all, I really enjoyed the movie (minor flaws included) and I’d definitely watch a sequel.

Should You Watch It?

If you’re expecting a Hollywood blockbuster movie, don’t bother. This is a movie that pays homage to the original japanese installation with slightly less focus on the titular character than It should be. Godzilla is scary, but the movie gives us a glimpse at the life of the people affected.

Where Can I Watch It?

Godzilla Minus One is now playing in theaters.