Welcome back to the blog readers. I know that my knowledge of "kaiju" films is limited only to Pacific Rim (2013) and the MonsterVerse films (Godzilla (2014), Kong: Skull Island (2017), Godzilla: King of the Monsters (2019) and Godzilla vs. Kong (2021), with Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire (2024) arriving imminently), but I figured it was time to expand my horizons. When I heard the original studio behind our favorite "kaiju," Toho, was creating a new film, interest surely piqued. Once the high praise had been heaped onto it, I knew I had to see this film. Would this film stand on its own or would it fall to the clutches of its Hollywood counterpart? Stick around to find out.
Godzilla Minus One (Japanese name: ゴジラマイナスワン) is written and directed by Takashi Yamazaki, based on characters by Takeo Murata, Ishirō Honda, and Shigeru Kayama. The film stars Ryunosuke Kamiki, Minami Hamabe, Yuki Yamada, Munetaka Aoki, Hidetaka Yoshioka, Sakura Ando, and Kuranosuke Sasaki. In the film, which is a retelling of the original Godzilla story. a Japanese kamikaze pilot who survived World War II returns home to discover the victims of the war are not solely human, as the recovering country must contend with a creature beyond their wildest dreams.
Like I said in the introduction, the Hollywood Godzilla films have always put a smile on my face. That is the purpose of those films: popcorn stuffers that only exist to give you a fun time at the movies. When I heard what the gist of this was, I was both compelled and concerned. Compelled because I love a good drama more than the next guy; and concerned because this film is an international film at the end of the day. I only ever have seen one of these films, that being Parasite (2019). Subtitles honestly take me out of the film because I always have to look down at them. But all of my concerns were quickly dashed, because I am not lying when I say this. This film is a top 5 (maybe top 3) film of the year. Believe all of the hype you have heard about this film and go see it as soon as you can. The characters, acting, action, drama, story, and score are all worth talking about.
Firstly, I need to dump an unimaginable level of praise on lead actor Ryunosuke Kamiki. For someone who I later learned is only 30 years old, Kamiki gives one of the most raw and believable performances I have seen this year, and his performance to me is on the level of Cillian Murphy's in Oppenheimer (2023). In fact, I would give him a nomination for Best Actor at the Oscars (I know they won't but a guy can dream, can't he?). For someone so young, this guy can portray a bunch of different emotions and make the audience feel with him regardless of whether you need the subtitles or not. Kamiki is just so visceral in this role that I am completely shocked at how good it is. Don't worry, I'll get into the message of the film later on.
The next performance I want to point out is that of Minami Hamabe, who plays Kamiki's love interest in the film. What I love the most about her performance is how nuanced and subtle it is. There is a silent power that Hamabe possesses that allows her to present as something bigger, and it never gets lost on the audience. You feel for her character just as much as you feel for Kamiki's. I truly believe that other than our lead, Hamabe's character is the glue that holds the film together. She should be a dark horse contender for Best Supporting Actress at the Oscars, but again, it probably will not happen.
The final performance I want to praise is of the big guy himself. I mean, to be honest, he is the namesake of the franchise and the reason our asses are even in the seats. But Godzilla in this film is absolutely terrifying. This version of the character doesn't even hold a candle to the Hollywood version of the character. He evokes terror in every movement he makes and every action he takes. You maybe want to root for him but as time goes on, he gives you reason after reason to hate him. I plan on going into more detail on this later on, but I cannot stop raving about how the big guy is used in the film and what his purpose is. Side note, the design is cool as hell on this version.
Next I need to get into the story of the film, and this goes hand and hand with the writing by director Takashi Yamazaki. Very early on we learn a theme of this film is regret and grief, but we also learn that mental health and post-traumatic stress are other prevalent themes. That is so especially with our main character Kōichi Shikishima. In the first 15 minutes, we learn everything there is to know about this man and what his character journey will be. I do love how these themes were handled in the film, and the scenes where Shikishima is expressing his pain and emotions are some of the most raw scenes in cinema this entire year. One other thing I loved is how Godzilla was used in the film: as a plot mechanic to help our main character overcome his shortcomings and his afflictions.
The final thing I want to talk about is the music. Holy shit, what a score. Naoki Satō is the man behind the score of Godzilla Minus One (ゴジラマイナスワン) and I cannot stop being amazed at what I heard in this film. There were times that the music matched what I was feeling in the film and it was such a perfect fusion. I would even go as far as to argue that even though Satō borrowed some motifs and themes from Godzilla films previous, he should be a lock-in nomination for Best Original Score at the Oscars. No doubt abut it guys.
To conclude my thoughts, Godzilla Minus One (ゴジラマイナスワン) is a beautiful allegory on mental health that is anchored by a pair of Oscar-worthy performances and one pissed-off kaiju. Thank you all for reading and I will see you for the next post.
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