Commentary: ‘Godzilla Minus One’ Checks A Lot Of Genre Boxes

It’s awesome when a story checks off a lot of genre boxes. So many times, stories aim for a particular niche and go for it. Romantic comedies usually don’t try to be thrillers the same way horror movies don’t always add comedy. But when they do, these cross-genres stories become very multifaceted and nuanced in a way others simply don’t. Of course, these tales always run the risk of over-complicating themselves and carrying too many concepts on their shoulders. But for Godzilla Minus One, the story manages to check off an extreme amount of boxes to create a truly compelling narrative.

The film serves as a sort of prequel and reboot for the Godzilla franchise. It has Godzilla appearing at the end of World War II as Japan has been ravaged by bombing. The story focuses on a disgraced pilot (Ryunosuke Kamiki) who tries to make a life for himself in his war-torn country. As Japan slowly starts to rebuild, Godzilla gains more and more strength and becomes a bigger threat to the nation. Left on their own to deal with it,  average citizens and former soldiers band together to stop Godzilla, and the pilot redeems himself by ultimately delivering the killing blow.

There’s so much happening in the story that it is very easy to miss just how many genre boxes this film checks off. Taking place at the end of World War II, the film is undoubtedly a work of historical fiction. It’s also absolutely a science fiction film, as it does an amazing job honoring the Kaiju genre of old — far more so than the Godzilla franchise’s Western counterparts. It’s also a film about war. Specifically, how war can ravage a nation, sending it into poverty. It creates a lot of opportunity for tension and drama, which is expressed through great characterization. This drama even manages to touch a hint of romance. So those willing to write off Godzilla Minus One as just another monster movie will be pleasantly surprised by its range.

Godzilla Minus One is now streaming on Netflix