Review: Godzilla Minus One

Official Synopsis: Post-war Japan is at its lowest point when a new crisis emerges in the form of a giant monster, baptized in the horrific power of the atomic bomb.

I'm not sure I've ever kicked myself so hard for not seeing a film in theaters the way I did Godzilla Minus One. Life would just NOT work with me on that one, and I missed it. Now, after 84 years, the film is finally available to stream on Netflix. And I can see what all the fuss was about. 

At this point in the pop culture zeitgeist, I'm used to Godzilla teaming up with Kong and taking a nap in the Colosseum. This film reminded me that he's meant to be legitimately terrifying. His entrance into this film is so abrupt and creepy. Then he leaves, and we focus on the human story. One of found family, surviving post-war when your war isn't necessarily over, and love. I found myself getting so into that, that I almost forgot I was watching a Godzilla movie until he returns with a vengeance. 

The SFX team did a great job with their 15M budget. I feel like that was more about what their Oscar win was about. What you can do with a limited budget, vs all the magic you can make happen when you've got big studios backing you. At times it looks corny, but it feels like an intentional call back to the old Godzilla films. The most impressive part was his eyes. Godzilla's eyes in this film are going to give me nightmares. 

There is one thing I need to call out, and it's kind of spoiler-y, but I'll be vague. While there's no shortage of death in this film, there is one that is revealed to be a big fake out, and I wish I had known that going into the film because I spent a decent majority of it pissed off because of said death. I was legitimately grumbling internally and had I known that person would come back, I think it would've made the viewing experience slightly better, because when the film slowed down, all I did was stew about it. 

If you know what I'm talking about, I'd love to hear you how handled it, because I clearly didn't handle it with grace. Still, this is definitely worth your time, and I'm glad it's available to stream.

Grade: B+