408 - Godzilla Minus One

Eavesdropping at the Movies

A new, low-budget, Japanese-produced Godzilla movie takes us by surprise. Toho, with whom the series began in 1954 and who have produced over 30 Godzilla films since, have given Godzilla Minus One a wider release than usual, and we're glad of it. Unburdened by the lore and worldbuilding of the Legendary Pictures MonsterVerse films, writer-director Takashi Yamazaki tells a story of Japan's post-World War II depression, a spiritual and blood debt a pilot feels for shirking his wartime duty, and a community brought together in defiance of both a culture that treated their lives as expendable, and of course, a monster attacking their city. Godzilla Minus One looks sensational for a film of its budget - reported to be under $15 million - and while hitting all the beats you'd expect of a blockbuster, arguably exhibits a subtly different pace and style of storytelling than Western audiences are used to, Mike suggesting that it gives an audience tired of having relentlessly convoluted cinematic universes foisted upon them a change in cinematic attitude for which they're hungry. It's not a perfect film - some of the performances let its emotional moments down, and there's little you can't see coming - but Godzilla Minus One is thoughtful entertainment that's really worth seeing at a cinema. Recorded on 17th December 2023.