Godzilla Minus One (2023)

Original title

ゴジラ-1.0

Directed by

Takashi Yamazaki

Genre

drama film, action film, horror film, adventure film, science fiction film, disaster film

Country

Japan

Runtime

2h 05m

Rated

PG-13

Rating

7.6 of 10 from 3,249 voters

Elsewhere

IMDb

How it feels

In postwar Japan, a former kamikaze pilot with PTSD faces a giant monster called Godzilla. The film follows his struggle to confront the creature and his past trauma.

tensemelancholicvisually lushslow-burnbleakemotionaldauntingsomberepic

What happens

Godzilla Minus One (Japanese: ゴジラ-1.0（マイナスワン）, Hepburn: Gojira Mainasu Wan) is a 2023 Japanese epic kaiju film written, directed, and with visual effects by Takashi Yamazaki. It is the 37th film in the Godzilla franchise, the 33rd film thereof produced by Toho, and the fifth installment in the Reiwa era. Set in postwar Japan, the film stars Ryunosuke Kamiki as a former kamikaze pilot suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder after encountering the giant monster Godzilla. The supporting cast includes Minami Hamabe, Yuki Yamada, Munetaka Aoki, Hidetaka Yoshioka, Sakura Ando, and Kuranosuke Sasaki. Following Shin Godzilla (2016), Toho was unable to produce another live-action Godzilla film until 2020, owing to a contract with Legendary Entertainment. Executive producer Minami Ichikawa appointed Yamazaki to create the movie upon the completion of The Great War of Archimedes (2019). Development began in March 2019, when Yamazaki devised the film's plot. Principal photography was postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic, leaving Yamazaki three years to work on the script. He took inspiration from previous Godzilla movies and the works of Hayao Miyazaki and Steven Spielberg. In February 2022, Robot Communications publicized that Yamazaki would soon direct an untitled kaiju movie. Filming occurred in Chūbu and Kantō from March to June 2022 on a reputed $10 million budget. Shirogumi's Chōfu studio spent eight months creating the visual effects. The film was revealed to be an installment in the Godzilla series in November 2022, and its title was announced in July 2023. Godzilla Minus One premiered at the Shinjuku Toho Building on October 18, 2023, and was released in Japan on November 3, to celebrate the franchise's 70th anniversary. Toho International later released the film in North America on December 1. Despite its mixed reception from Japanese critics, the film earned widespread critical acclaim internationally. Many Western critics praised it as one of the best films of 2023 and among the best in the Godzilla franchise. The film grossed $116 million worldwide, becoming the third-highest-grossing Japanese film of 2023 and surpassing Shin Godzilla as the most successful Japanese Godzilla film. It also attained numerous accolades, including a leading 12 nominations at the 47th Japan Academy Film Prize (winning eight) and winning Best Visual Effects at the 96th Academy Awards. A sequel, Godzilla Minus Zero, is set for release in November 2026. (from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA)

Trailer

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