Godzilla Minus One is one of the most popular monster movies of 2023, and here are the 10 best movies to watch if a viewer wants to see something else like it. Godzilla Minus One is one of many reimaginings of the classic Godzilla story, with the titular monster this time facing off against a Japanese WWII deserter who rallies together the community in order to take Godzilla down. Godzilla Minus One was a huge hit upon its release, with many fans looking for more movies like it.

Godzilla Minus One is now on Netflix, with the beloved kaiju film getting a new wave of fans upon the film’s streaming release. Godzilla Minus One brings together a lot of things, with it being a grand monster film while also utilizing complex and deep themes, working as a period piece, and tackling concepts unique to Japanese filmmaking. Luckily, these 10 movies all share some or all of these traits, which is why they are perfect follow-ups to Godzilla Minus One.

10

Kong: Skull Island

75% on Rotten Tomatoes

2017’s Kong: Skull Island is just one of many movies in the King Kong franchise, but much like Godzilla Minus One, it stands out among the crowd. Kong: Skull Island follows a group of soldiers, researchers, and adventurers who travel to the titular island in an attempt to document the mysterious wildlife, with the group accidentally finding themselves facing off against King Kong.

Kong: Skull Island is mainly comparable to Godzilla Minus One due to its setting and genre, as both films and kaiju movies that are centered around the distinct time period of a war. While Godzilla Minus One focuses on the post-WWII era, Kong: Skull Island is set in the middle of the Vietnam War, with the music, production design, and patterns of speech of the time being present throughout the film in order to tackle some war-specific themes.

9

Underwater

48% on Rotten Tomatoes

One of the most interesting monster movies in recent years has really flown under the radar, and that is the 2020 film Underwater. The film follows a group of scientists who lives in a base that resides miles below the ocean’s surface, with the gang getting attacked by a group of terrifying monsters the likes of which humanity has never seen. The film has often been likened to movies like Alien, but it also shares some similarities with Godzilla Minus One.

Much like Godzilla Minus One, Underwater‘s sense of scale and cosmic horror really makes its monsters seem all the more effective, with the film going a long way to highlight just how helpless the humans are in the face of these creatures. Underwater‘s Lovecraftian ocean-dwelling monster has some parallels with Godzilla, and since Godzilla Minus One is mostly set on the ocean’s surface, it isn’t far off from Underwater‘s below the ocean’s surface setting.

8

Jurassic Park

92% on Rotten Tomatoes

Jurassic Park is one of the most famous monster movies of all time, and despite its creatures being based on real animals, it shared many of the themes and trappings of the monster genre. The film follows a group of researchers who are brought to a theme park that has done the impossible: brought dinosaurs back to life. However, things quickly go wrong when the dinosaurs break free, with the researchers having to find their way off the secluded island on which the park resides.

Godzilla Minus One and Jurassic Park both spend a lot of time contemplating the nature of their monsters, with both of them sharing themes about how the humans are the ones behind their creation. Godzilla Minus One‘s scenes of characters having meetings about how to defeat the monster bear striking similarities to some scenes in Jurassic Park, which is why they would make great companion pieces.

7

War Of The Worlds

76% on Rotten Tomatoes

Steven Spielberg’s War of the Worlds is the beloved remake of the classic sci-fi film, but it puts an interesting spin on the tone of the story, one that makes it similar to Godzilla Minus One. The film follows a family as they attempt to stay safe during the opening phase of an alien invasion, with the iconic aliens bringing destruction to any place where they seek refuge.

Rather than glorifying the destruction that the aliens cause, War of the World attempts to show off just how truly horrifying destruction of this scale can be, something that Godzilla Minus One attempts to do as well. While plenty of past Godzilla movies show off just how cool Godzilla’s atomic breath can be, Godzilla Minus One manages to make this staple of the character absolutely terrifying, and 2005’s War of the Worlds is able to pull off the same trick with its aliens.

6

Train To Busan

95% on Rotten Tomatoes

The 2016 film Train to Busan is one of the most popular South Korean movies, and it actually shares a lot of similarities with Godzilla Minus One. The is set during a massive zombie outbreak in South Korea, with a group of survivors becoming trapped on a speeding train as they make their way to a safe haven in Busan.

It has been frequently pointed out that Train to Busan can be read as a metaphor for the Korean War, as Busan was one of the only locations that remained under the control of South Korea, with it acting as a safe haven for many Koreans. This means that Train to Busan‘s themes are unique to the national cinema from which it comes, and the same thing can be said for Godzilla Minus One‘s commentary on the Japanese government and the state of the country after World War II.

5

Godzilla (2014)

76% on Rotten Tomatoes

Fans of Godzilla Minus One who are looking to watch a similar movie have one obvious place to turn: the rest of the Godzilla franchise. While there are plenty of movies to pick from, one of the best options is the 2014 American Godzilla remake. While it received mixed reviews when it was first released, fans have warmed up to it in recent years. Since it shared much of its story with Godzilla Minus One, it is a great way to follow up the 2023 movie.

The most interesting part of 2014’s Godzilla is that it is the first movie in Legendary’s MonsterVerse, a cinematic universe centered around Godzilla, King Kong, and other kaiju. Watching Godzilla could open the door to a massive universe of kaiju, with the various movies acting as a cliff notes version of some of the monster’s most iconic storylines.

4

Cloverfield

78% on Rotten Tomatoes

2008’s Cloverfield is another great monster movie, with it mixing the genre with the genre of found footage films. The movie follows a group of party-goers in New York City who are caught in the middle of an alien attack, with them documenting their journey through the city as they attempt to safely make it away from the monsters.

Much like Godzilla Minus One and the aforementioned film Underwater, Cloverfield dabbles in cosmic horror, attempting to highlight the helplessness of humanity in the face of such powerful entities. Cloverfield features plenty of city destruction and unique action scenes, and while it did start a franchise, the first Cloverfield movie is an original idea that turned out to be a huge hit. Cloverfield has been critically acclaimed since its release, and fans of Godzilla Minus One should definitely check it out.

3

The Host

93% on Rotten Tomatoes

Bong Joon-ho is one of the most beloved directors to come out of South Korea, and years before making hits like Parasite and Snowpiercer, Bong Joon-ho directed a monster movie called The Host. The 2006 film is about a monster who lives in the Han River, with it being born of the dangerous chemicals that the American military poured into the body of water. The monster then begins wreaking havoc on the area, with a family facing it head-on in an attempt to save their daughter.

Much like Godzilla Minus One, The Host uses its monster as an allegory for the carelessness of military powers, with Godzilla and Gwoemul both being created by military actions. This creates a distinct thematic link between the two films, making them a great pairing on top of their already similar genres and stories.

2

Shin Godzilla

86% on Rotten Tomatoes

All kinds of Godzilla movies are available for viewing, but another standout entry in the franchise is the 2016 film Shin Godzilla. Much like many of the other Godzilla movies, Shin Godzilla follows a group of humans who respond to the titular kaiju after it emerges from the sea and begins to terrorize Japan. However, Shin Godzilla tackles this story in a unique way, one that has really only been repeated by Godzilla Minus One.

Shin Godzilla gives a lot of focus to the logistics of how a real country would respond to the monster attack, highlighting the various ways in which the humans attempt to fight back and defend themselves. Godzilla Minus One takes a similar approach with its story, with the town hall scene in which the humans deduce how to defeat Godzilla being a perfect example of this.

1

Godzilla (1954)

93% on Rotten Tomatoes

While all of the aforementioned movies on this list are great ways to follow up Godzilla Minus One, there is no more obvious choice to watch after the 2023 film than the original 1954 Godzilla. The first Godzilla movie is one of the most influential movies of all time, with it kicking off the iconic franchise and essentially defining what the kaiju genre is.

Everything that exists in Godzilla Minus One, from the story to the monster to the themes, is a direct response to the 1954 film. Although there are some big differences, Godzilla Minus One can be seen as a reimagining of the 1954 original, with it being one of the closest to the 1954 film out of the many Godzilla movies. Going back and seeing the roots of the franchise would be a great choice for fans of Godzilla Minus One, and 1954’s Godzilla is the one that started it all.