Godzilla Minus Zero

Godzilla Minus One was a breath of fresh air for the long-running Japanese franchise upon its release in 2023. Coming after a string of commercially successful but coolly received American takes on the series, Takashi Yamazaki’s film was a tremendous triumph both in Japan and globally, earning rave reviews and winning an Oscar for Best Visual Effects. Minus One became the highest-grossing Japanese-language movie of all time in North America. Expectations are naturally high, therefore, for the follow-up Godzilla Minus Zero; can lightning strike twice for this revitalisation of one of cinema’s most iconic monsters?

Minus Zero picks up in the aftermath of Godzilla’s 1947 attacks, with Japan still rebuilding and slowly recovering post-Second World War, when another Kaiju makes an appearance, this time King Ghidorah, a creature capable of rivalling Godzilla for destruction and incapable of being damaged by the main characters’ efforts.

The first ten minutes or so of the feature, as the audience follows Ghidorah’s rampage through Matsumoto City, are truly jaw-dropping, immersive and something more out of a horror film as survivors try to escape the havoc. It immediately sets the tone for the next two hours, indicating that this will not be a letdown in terms of scale or visuals. This is an edge-of-your-seat monster epic that delivers on the fight scenes, giving the US films with considerably larger budgets a run for their money. Even for a franchise over 70 years old, this is a frequently thrilling watch, doing things that have not been done before in Godzilla films.

There is a slow build-up before the return of Godzilla himself, but the wait is worth it. The ensuing kaiju spectacle is often breathtaking. One of the main differentiators between this pair of films and the Monsterverse is the care and attention taken with the world-building. One feels truly invested in the human element of the story. The characters on the ground looking to escape the monsters have real lives and their fate matters. This is especially true of former kamikaze pilot Kōichi Shikishima, his wife Noriko and their adopted daughter Akiko. The relationships between characters are integral to the story, and it’s not just a race to the next battle sequence.

This is not simply a retread, upping the stakes and size but not losing the impressive visuals or intimacy. Even if it doesn’t quite have the novelty element, there is so much to admire in its breadth and craft. The story feels like a natural extension of this universe with a reason for more. It avoids falling into many sequel pitfalls, and the continued focus on the personal feel of the story, both with the main cast and supporting characters, helps to make the destruction have an impact.

Godzilla Minus Zero is a worthy follow-up to Minus One; it recaptures that movie’s sense of awe and devastation in a story that once again puts the human cast at the forefront, and even through the kaiju carnage, they are its emotional core. It looks set to be another victory at the box office, and while it may not be as much of a bolt from the blue, it is another immaculately crafted Godzilla film that offers much to enjoy.

Chris Connor

Godzilla Minus Zero is released nationwide on 6^th November 2026.

Watch the trailer for Godzilla Minus Zero here: