Streaming and Screaming: ‘Godzilla Minus One’
by Tito W. James
Set in postwar Japan, Godzilla Minus One sees Godzilla bring 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.
Written and directed by Takashi Yamazaki, Godzilla Minus One opened in US theaters in December 2023 and quickly became the highest-grossing Japanese live-action film in US box office history. After seeing it up on the big screen, I was shaken to the core by the pathos of the film. Godzilla originally served as a metaphor for nuclear annihilation and the Japanese perspective on raw power run amok is sobering to say the least. Godzilla Minus One is a powerful film that provides a cautionary tale, catharsis, and modern myth-making.
Godzilla Minus One is now streaming on Netflix.