“Minus One” picks up in the mid-40s in the aftermath of World War II. Just as the nation’s people are trying to put things back together, Godzilla emerges to once again plunge the country into chaos. The film has been hailed as one of the best movies in the franchise, which is impressive given that the original 1954 kaiju classic celebrates its 70th anniversary this year. Not too many properties get to take such a resounding victory lap seven decades in. It’s rare air to be certain.
The other truly wild thing is the fact that the reported budget for this film is $15 million or less. Granted, much of that has to do with the way employees are treated in Japan, which differs greatly from how those things are handled in the U.S. Even so, it means Toho is going to make a lot of money on the film, which increases the chances of a sequel — or some sort of continuation — happening. We also have “Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire” arriving later this year, but more homegrown “Godzilla” films at Toho feel inevitable now.
More than anything, it’s worth taking a moment to revel in just how unlikely this movie’s success seemed even just a handful of months ago. No Japanese “Godzilla” film had ever broken through like this in North America, yet word of mouth and genuine buzz pushed this film to record heights. It also came at a time when the box office needed it badly; the last chunk of 2023 saw several high-profile disappointments, and the first chunk of 2024 has been devoid of major releases. Godzilla may be Tokyo’s biggest enemy, but he proved to be the hero that movie theaters needed.
“Godzilla Minus One” is in theaters now.