Hello horror fans, Slick Dungeon here! I’m back to review another horror film and this one is my pick for not just one of the best horror films, but one of the best films of 2023. I am talking, of course, about Godzilla Minus One. Despite the title making me think there should be zero Godzillas, there is in fact an epic Godzilla in this movie. There will be some spoilers in this review but I will try to keep them light enough you should be able to see it without worry. Still, if things like knowing there is a Godzilla in this movie is too much of a spoiler for you, go see the movie and come back to read the review!

To KNow Before You go

There are a few things to know before you watch this film. First, this is not directly related to the most recent Godzilla movies set in the so called Monarch Monsterverse. Those films kicked off with Bryan Cranston in 2014 and there are so far four movies with another slated to come out next year and a television series. In addition all of those are American productions while Godzilla Minus One is the first Godzilla movie to come out of Japan for quite some time. You absolutely do not have to have ever seen any Godzilla movie to enjoy Godzilla Minus One. This is the rare case where knowing too much about the previous films might even bog you down a bit.

What’s with that title?

Before I get too far into the review, I am going to touch upon the title for a moment because it is kind of an odd title. Some people have theorized the minus one is because this is a sort of prequel film to the original Godzilla of 1954. That is, in fact not true. This is more of a reimagining of the original Godzilla, however Minus One tells a much more moving story.

The reason the title is Godzilla Minus One has to do with where Japan was as a country and culture following the events of World War II. Having lost a war, been devastated by two nuclear blasts and struggling to come back from its lowest point in history, Japan was at zero. But in Godzilla Minus One, the idea is, what if they could sink lower. On top of all of the devastation, destruction and heartbreak, there is now an unstoppable monster set out to devastate everything Japan has started to rebuild.

But How about the Movie Itself?

If that was the only idea, this might make for a decent film. But the movie follows the central character of pilot Kōichi Shikishima. Shikishima has committed an act he and many other people feel is unforgivable when he happens upon the impossible. A legendary monster so large and powerful it could level cities in an instant. Godzilla.

On the surface the film is obviously about how to stop a Kaiju from wreaking havoc upon a civilization. But, the film goes far deeper than that to touch on themes of loss, hope, redemption, power structures, and who should be held responsible for decisions that cost lives. Is it courageous to do something reckless, just because those in authority want you to? Are you a coward if you freeze at a particular moment in time? And what would the effect be on a war torn civilization if it had to face a new threat after such loss?

The action here is excellent and Godzilla himself has never looked better. All the big Kaiju pieces you want in a movie like this are there but this one shines because it was so well thought through. Godzilla Minus One is not just a good lesson in how to create an action film but an excellent lesson in how to tell a story. More film makers should take note.

I won’t spoil much but I will say there is one line in this movie that just shows how well thought out the approach to a disaster film is here. There is a moment with my favorite line in an Godzilla film I have seen when a character says, “To have never gone to war is something to be proud of.” It’s extremely moving and nearly pitch perfect. I never thought a Kaiju film would make me think about the deeper meaning of life but if any film pulls it off, this one does.

Have you seen this one? Do you think it stands up to the original? Let me know in the comments!

Monstrously yours,

Slick Dungeon