Film Review

Godzilla Minus One (2023) — a triumph of savage simplicity

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

Godzilla Minus One / ゴジラ-1.0 does something both brave and remarkable. In a world where Western cinema is overloaded with sequels, prequels, and multiverses, this Japanese film dares to challenge conventions by offering what Hollywood studios seem to have forgotten: simplicity. This bold and remarkable kaiju film stands as a testament to the enduring power of straightforward storytelling.

While its most recent US predecessors have taken us through increasingly complicated and crowded journeys involving strange wormholes and nuclear physics (2014’s Godzilla being almost the sole exception), Godzilla Minus One offers none of that. There’s no complicated scientific explanation for Godzilla’s appearance. There’s no interaction between the King of Monsters and other kaiju. Godzilla simply appears in a war-weary Japan and causes chaos. There’s something beautiful and brave…