Godzilla Minus One has become a major streaming success on Netflix ahead of the release of its sequel, Godzilla Minus Zero. The film matters because it revived the character as a serious symbol of post-war trauma and destruction, combining a human story about guilt and recovery with large-scale monster action.

Set in post-war Japan, the film follows former kamikaze pilot Kōichi Shikishima as he tries to rebuild his life before Godzilla attacks an already devastated country. Produced at far less cost than a typical Hollywood effects blockbuster, it earned more than $110 million worldwide, holds a 98% Rotten Tomatoes critics’ score and became the first Godzilla film to win an Oscar, for Best Visual Effects. The sequel is set in 1949, two years later, and is due to arrive on 6 November 2026.