Summary
Godzilla Minus Oneis one of the most popular monster movies of 2023, and here are the 10 best movies to watch if a viewer wants to see something else like it.Godzilla Minus Oneis one of many reimaginings of the classicGodzillastory, with the titular monster this time facing off against a Japanese WWII deserter who rallies together the community in order to take Godzilla down.Godzilla Minus Onewas a huge hit upon its release, with many fans looking for more movies like it.
Godzilla Minus Oneis now on Netflix, with the beloved kaiju film getting a new wave of fans upon the film’s streaming release.Godzilla Minus Onebrings together a lot of things, with it being a grand monster film while also utilizing complex and deep themes, working as a period piece, and tackling concepts unique to Japanese filmmaking. Luckily, these 10 movies all share some or all of these traits, which is why they are perfect follow-ups toGodzilla Minus One.
Kong: Skull Island
Cast
Kong: Skull Island follows a diverse team of explorers led by Tom Hiddleston and Brie Larson as they journey to a remote, uncharted island. There, they encounter the mighty Kong, discovering a world of monstrous creatures in this reimagined origin story of the iconic King Kong.
2017’sKong: Skull Islandis just one of many movies in theKing Kongfranchise, but much likeGodzilla Minus One, it stands out among the crowd.Kong: Skull Islandfollows a group of soldiers, researchers, and adventurers who travel to the titular island in an attempt to document the mysterious wildlife, with the group accidentally finding themselves facing off against King Kong.
Kong: Skull Islandis mainly comparable toGodzilla Minus Onedue to its setting and genre, as both films and kaiju movies that are centered around the distinct time period of a war. WhileGodzilla Minus Onefocuses on the post-WWII era,Kong: Skull Islandis set in the middle of the Vietnam War, with the music, production design, and patterns of speech of the time being present throughout the film in order to tackle some war-specific themes.
All 9 Ways Minus One’s Godzilla Is Different From All Other Versions
From cellular regeneration to atomic breath that causes nuclear explosions, Godzilla Minus One made a few changes to the traditional Godzilla design.
Underwater
After a massive earthquake damages an oceanic research company’s station, the crew must travel across the ocean floor to the safety of another base. The only catch is that the unknown waters are home to dangerous aquatic monsters. Underwater stars Kristen Stewart in the lead role alongside Vincent Cassel, Mamoudou Athie, and TJ Miller.
One of the most interesting monster movies in recent years has really flown under the radar, and that is the 2020 filmUnderwater. The film follows a group of scientists who lives in a base that resides miles below the ocean’s surface, with the gang getting attacked by a group of terrifying monsters the likes of which humanity has never seen. The film has often been likened to movies likeAlien, but it also shares some similarities withGodzilla Minus One.
Much likeGodzilla Minus One,Underwater’s sense of scale and cosmic horror really makes its monsters seem all the more effective, with the film going a long way to highlight just how helpless the humans are in the face of these creatures.Underwater’s Lovecraftian ocean-dwelling monsterhas some parallels with Godzilla, and sinceGodzilla Minus Oneis mostly set on the ocean’s surface, it isn’t far off fromUnderwater’s below the ocean’s surface setting.
Jurassic Park
Jurassic Park is a science fiction adventure film directed by Steven Spielberg, based on Michael Crichton’s novel. Released in 1993, it follows a wealthy entrepreneur who creates a theme park with living dinosaurs. When security systems fail, experts and visitors experience the perilous reality of the park.
Jurassic Parkis one of the most famous monster movies of all time, and despite its creatures being based on real animals, it shared many of the themes and trappings of the monster genre. The film follows a group of researchers who are brought to a theme park that has done the impossible: brought dinosaurs back to life. However, things quickly go wrong when the dinosaurs break free, with the researchers having to find their way off the secluded island on which the park resides.
Godzilla Minus OneandJurassic Parkboth spend a lot of time contemplating the nature of their monsters, with both of them sharing themes about howthe humans are the ones behind their creation.Godzilla Minus One’s scenes of characters having meetings about how to defeat the monster bear striking similarities to some scenes inJurassic Park, which is why they would make great companion pieces.
War of The Worlds
As extraterrestrial invaders ravage Earth, divorced father Ray Ferrier (Tom Cruise) must protect his estranged children, Rachel and Robbie. Evading destruction and aliens, they encounter harrowing scenes of devastation in their desperate bid for survival. As the invaders' weaknesses are revealed, Ray fights to reunite his family and find refuge amidst the crumbling world.
Steven Spielberg’sWar of the Worldsis the beloved remake of the classic sci-fi film, but it puts an interesting spin on the tone of the story, one that makes it similar toGodzilla Minus One. The film follows a family as they attempt to stay safe during the opening phase of an alien invasion, with the iconic aliens bringing destruction to any place where they seek refuge.
Rather than glorifying the destruction that the aliens cause,War of the Worldattempts to show off just how truly horrifying destruction of this scale can be, something thatGodzilla Minus Oneattempts to do as well. While plenty of pastGodzillamovies show off just how coolGodzilla’s atomic breathcan be,Godzilla Minus Onemanages to make this staple of the character absolutely terrifying, and 2005’sWar of the Worldsis able to pull off the same trick with its aliens.
Train to Busan
Train to Busan is a South Korean action-horror film released in 2016. Directed by Yeon Sang-ho, it centers on passengers aboard an express train from Seoul to Busan during a sudden zombie outbreak. As the virus spreads, the survivors must navigate the chaotic and dangerous environment to reach safety.
The2016 filmTrain to Busanis one of the most popular South Korean movies, and it actually shares a lot of similarities withGodzilla Minus One. The is set during a massive zombie outbreak in South Korea, with a group of survivors becoming trapped on a speeding train as they make their way to a safe haven in Busan.
It has been frequently pointed out thatTrain to Busancan be read as a metaphor for the Korean War, as Busan was one of the only locations that remained under the control of South Korea, with it acting as a safe haven for many Koreans. This means thatTrain to Busan’s themes are unique to the national cinema from which it comes, and the same thing can be said forGodzilla Minus One’s commentary on the Japanese government and the state of the country after World War II.
Godzilla
Godzilla is a 2014 American reboot of the popular kaiju property and the first film in Legendary’s Monsterverse franchise. The film centers around Ford Brody (Aaron Taylor-Johnson) who travels to Japan after his father Joe (Bryan Cranston) is detained for trying to uncover the truth about his wife’s death 15 years prior. Together they fight to survive as Joe’s conspiracy theory becomes true and giant monsters begin attacking the world.
Fans ofGodzilla Minus Onewho are looking to watch a similar movie have one obvious place to turn: the rest of theGodzillafranchise. While there are plenty of movies to pick from, one of the best options is the 2014 AmericanGodzillaremake. While it received mixed reviews when it was first released, fans have warmed up to it in recent years.Since it shared much of its story withGodzilla Minus One, it is a great way to follow up the 2023 movie.
The most interesting part of 2014’sGodzillais that it is thefirst movie in Legendary’s MonsterVerse, a cinematic universe centered around Godzilla, King Kong, and other kaiju. WatchingGodzillacould open the door to a massive universe of kaiju, with the various movies acting as a cliff notes version of some of the monster’s most iconic storylines.
Cloverfield
Directed by Matt Reeves, Cloverfield is a found-footage disaster movie that follows a group of people seeking safety during a state of emergency. When New York City is attacked by an unknown monstrous entity, chaos ensues. A group of friends document their attempts to flee the city and find sanctuary from an onslaught of monsters on a handheld camcorder - footage which is designated as an account of the “Cloverfield” incident.
2008’sCloverfieldis another great monster movie, with it mixing the genre with the genre of found footage films. The movie follows a group of party-goers in New York City who are caught in the middle of an alien attack, with them documenting their journey through the city as they attempt to safely make it away from the monsters.
Much likeGodzilla Minus Oneand the aforementioned filmUnderwater,Cloverfielddabbles in cosmic horror, attempting to highlight the helplessness of humanity in the face of such powerful entities.Cloverfieldfeatures plenty of city destruction and unique action scenes, and while it did start a franchise, the firstCloverfieldmovie is an original idea that turned out to be a huge hit.Cloverfieldhas been critically acclaimed since its release, and fans ofGodzilla Minus Oneshould definitely check it out.
Godzilla Minus One Ending Explained
Godzilla Minus One featured a few twists that require explaining, along with where all of the characters wound up at the end of the action.
The Host
The Host is a South Korean monster film directed by Bong Joon-ho. Released in 2006, the film centers on a family’s quest to rescue their daughter from a creature that emerges from the Han River. Notable for its blend of horror, drama, and dark humor, the movie stars Song Kang-ho, Byun Hee-bong, Park Hae-il, Bae Doona, and Go Ah-sung.
Bong Joon-ho is one of the most beloved directorsto come out of South Korea, and years before making hits likeParasiteandSnowpiercer,Bong Joon-ho directed a monster movie calledThe Host. The 2006 film is about a monster who lives in the Han River, with it being born of the dangerous chemicals that the American military poured into the body of water. The monster then begins wreaking havoc on the area, with a family facing it head-on in an attempt to save their daughter.
Much likeGodzilla Minus One,The Hostuses its monster as an allegory for the carelessness of military powers, with Godzilla and Gwoemul both being created by military actions. This creates a distinct thematic link between the two films, making them a great pairing on top of their already similar genres and stories.
All kinds ofGodzillamovies are available for viewing,but another standout entry in the franchise is the 2016 filmShin Godzilla. Much like many of the otherGodzillamovies,Shin Godzillafollows a group of humans who respond to the titular kaiju after it emerges from the sea and begins to terrorize Japan. However,Shin Godzillatackles this story in a unique way, one that has really only been repeated byGodzilla Minus One.
Shin Godzillagives a lot of focus to the logistics of how a real country would respond to the monster attack, highlighting the various ways in which the humans attempt to fight back and defend themselves.Godzilla Minus Onetakes a similar approach with its story, with the town hall scene in which the humans deduce how to defeat Godzilla being a perfect example of this.
1954 Japanese film Godzilla follows Japan’s panic as ships are mysteriously sunk near Odo Island. An expedition discovers a giant monster, Godzilla, whose rampage threatens global destruction.
While all of the aforementioned movies on this list are great ways to follow upGodzilla Minus One, there is no more obvious choice to watch after the 2023 film than the original 1954Godzilla.The firstGodzillamovie is one of the most influential movies of all time, with it kicking off the iconic franchise and essentially defining what the kaiju genre is.
Everything that exists inGodzilla Minus One, from the story to the monster to the themes, is a direct response to the 1954 film. Although there are some big differences,Godzilla Minus Onecan be seen as a reimagining of the 1954 original, with it being one of the closest to the 1954 film out of themanyGodzillamovies. Going back and seeing the roots of the franchise would be a great choice for fans ofGodzilla Minus One, and 1954’sGodzillais the one that started it all.
Godzilla Minus One
In Godzilla Minus One, set in postwar Japan, an unyielding Godzilla emerges in a landscape already ravaged, leaving survivors to unite against the monstrous threat. With no aid from military forces or government, the community must confront their fears to fend off the escalating peril.
