As the first Godzilla movie I’ve ever seen, I watched Godzilla Minus One after it dropped on Netflix this month – and I think its brilliance may have ruined the rest of the franchise for me. In a surprise release on Netflix, Godzilla Minus One hit VOD and streaming on the same day starting June 1, 2024, exactly six months after its theatrical release in the United States. Godzilla Minus One was a huge box office hit in 2023, earning an impressive $115.8 million worldwide against a relatively small budget of only $10 million. To top off its commercial victories, Godzilla Minus One holds an astounding “Certified Fresh” 98% score on Rotten Tomatoes.

On the night of June 2, I ended my weekend by finally getting around to watching Godzilla Minus One. In short, I was blown away by the movie. From its Jaws-like restraint with the titular monster to its harrowing chosen family story, entrancing cast performances, powerful themes, and masterfully crafted effects to Godzilla Minus One’s moving ending, it stands apart as one of the best films of 2023. Despite the fact that there have been 38 Godzilla movies across 70 years, this also just so happens to be the first film in the franchise that I’ve seen. Though Godzilla Minus One is incredible, finishing this movie makes me nervous about approaching the rest of the franchise.

Why It Took Me So Long To Finally Watch A Godzilla Movie

Monster-based action movies haven’t been a huge draw for me

I’m generally not a huge fan of action movies; I enjoy them, but it’s typically not my go-to genre unless the film is supported by a well-renowned cast, an intriguing new story, or an acclaimed director. Part of this is because of the CGI-fest that has recently pervaded the action genre’s biggest entries, with many recent trends in this sector of Hollywood appealing less and less to me. I can see the merits and excitement of going to see every new entry of the Fast and Furious franchise or Mission: Impossible, but those movies just don’t really appeal to my taste – which isn’t meant to discount the opinion of those who love them. It’s simply not for me.

But, when a great new genre mashup or cinematic marvel is released, I’m all in for giving it a try. For instance, I thought the 1986 Top Gun was a fun but certainly not groundbreaking action movie when I first watched it. But, once I heard the rave reviews, incredible cinematic techniques, and entertainment value of Top Gun: Maverick, I couldn’t help but go see it and feel the same ecstatic way as the majority of other critics and audience members.

Action movies like the John Wick series, George Miller’s Mad Max films, war movies, and even fun star-studded action-comedies like The Fall Guy are certain to make me buy a ticket for a theatrical viewing. But, sadly, I’ve rarely felt this way about monster franchises apart from those like Universal’s Classic Monsters, Alien, A Quiet Place, and other horror-based series. Unless there’s some bigger, secondary draw to this subgenre of action movies, it isn’t the type of tale I have historically been interested in going to see.

While I’ve always had the original 1954 Godzilla movie on my watchlist due to its historical significance, cinematic influence, revolutionary special effects, and poignant themes, it got lost in the shuffle of other classic horror monster movies I was returning to, like King Kong (1933), Creature from the Black Lagoon (1954), and various Dracula films. Legendary’s recent Godzilla and Kong Monsterverse movies still didn’t pique my interest much, but that all changed with the buzz around 2023’s Godzilla Minus One. From rave reviews from critics to friends imploring me to go see it and an Oscar win for Best Visual Effects, I couldn’t avoid pressing “play” when Godzilla Minus One surprisingly arrived on Netflix this June – and, boy, am I glad I did.

Godzilla Minus One Is One Of The Best Monster Movies I’ve Ever Seen (I Understand Why Steven Spielberg Watched It 3 Times)

Godzilla Minus One deserves its 98% Rotten Tomatoes score

Monster movies aren’t hard to come by today, but really, really great ones are. When I finished watching Godzilla Minus One, one of my first thoughts was that it was the best monster movie I had seen since Jurassic Park. Part of this is the film’s priority on character development, story, and suspense rather than making sure to get a destructive Godzilla on screen as much as possible. One of the best sequences in Godzilla Minus One pays homage to Jaws as the characters’ boat is stalked by the kaiju, with the tension and restraint in fully unleashing the monster being a huge success in the film – just as it was with Steven Spielberg’s Jaws and Jurassic Park.

Godzilla Minus One holding back the titular monster while building up more suspense through the characters’ fears and preparations is a hallmark of many great monster horror movies. In addition to the aforementioned Spielberg films, movies like A Quiet Place, Beetlejuice, Alien, and Bong Joon-ho’s Host sparingly put their main villains or creatures on-screen, which makes their big showdowns or appearances toward the end of each film all the more effective. Steven Spielberg revealed in February 2024 that he had already watched Godzilla Minus One three times, and I finally understand why after seeing it.

The Original 1954 Godzilla Movie Is High On My Watchlist After Godzilla Minus One

I’ll now have an even greater appreciation for the original Godzilla

I previously mentioned that the original Godzilla movie has been on my watchlist for quite some time, but Godzilla Minus One just boosted it to a top priority. While I (clearly) didn’t catch them myself, I had read that Godzilla Minus One features numerous Easter eggs and callbacks to the 1954 movie, so seeing the original is certain to elevate my appreciation of the 2023 film. Additionally, while Godzilla Minus One has an incredible strength in its themes and analysis of post-war Japan, I’m curious to see how these two movies differ in their approach to these subjects given their 69-year gap.

Not having seen the very first Godzilla movie before watching Godzilla Minus One may invite some flack, but I believe that now is a much better time to see it given the more open, enthused mindset I’ll have going into it. Just as it did for me, I hope that Godzilla Minus One’s popularity on Netflix and dual critical and audience acclaim inspires more people to watch 1954’s Godzilla for the first time or revisit it. Director and co-writer Ishiro Honda deserves to have his massively influential work be seen by new generations, and I regret that it’s taken me so long to finally watch his most famous film.

I’m Worried The Other Godzilla Movies Won’t Live Up To Godzilla Minus One

Godzilla Minus One sets high standards for other Godzilla movies

While I’m eager to watch Godzilla (1954), I’m nervous about approaching the other 36 entries in the franchise. Godzilla’s films have often varied in quality, tone, and execution, and I worry that the rest of the franchise won’t be able to live up to the incredible cinematic accomplishments of Godzilla Minus One. One of the main reasons why it took me so long to get around to watching a Godzilla movie was Monsterverse’s recent films appeared to be more focused on the special effects, CGI, action, and crossover monster features.

Although I’m certain there are plenty of other great entries in the Godzilla franchise’s last 70 years of installments, it’s difficult to know where to start in a way that will encourage me to continue on with the films. While Godzilla (2014) has positive reviews, its follow-ups – Godzilla: King of the Monsters, Godzilla vs. Kong, and Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire – vary in “Rotten” or “Fresh” scores on Rotten Tomatoes. Additionally, though Toho’s Shin Godzilla received substantial acclaim, it’s difficult to approach the film while knowing the general consensus that Godzilla Minus One is superior. I’m open to giving many more Godzilla movies a chance, but it seems like Godzilla Minus One has already taken the cake.

Source: Rotten Tomatoes