Godzilla Minus One
Movie, 2023, Reiwa era, Set in Post-war Japan, 1945 to 1947
Godzilla Minus One is #35 of 35 in release order and #35 of 35 in chronological order in the Godzilla.
The story
In postwar Japan, Godzilla brings new devastation to an already scorched landscape. With no military intervention or government help in sight, the survivors must join together in the face of despair and fight back against an unrelenting horror.
Godzilla Minus One recap
In 1945, the kamikaze pilot Koichi Shikishima lands on Odo Island claiming his plane needs repairs, to avoid his suicide mission. That night Godzilla, a dinosaur-like creature, kills the island's mechanics; Shikishima freezes and does not fire, and only he and the mechanic Sosaku Tachibana survive. Back in ruined Tokyo, his parents are dead. He takes in Noriko Oishi, a young woman caring for an orphaned baby, Akiko, and they form a family, though he will not marry her. He takes dangerous work clearing mines, alongside the scientist Kenji Noda and the captain Akitsu. Bikini nuclear tests mutate Godzilla, which destroys an American ship, then Ginza. Noriko is caught in a blast and is presumed dead. With no help from the government, veterans plan Operation Wadatsumi to sink Godzilla in deep water.
Godzilla Minus One ending explained
Godzilla is defeated when Shikishima flies a bomb-laden plane into its mouth, and he survives by ejecting; Noriko turns out to be alive. Navy ships drag Godzilla down to crush it with pressure, then pull it up too fast. Shikishima, who asked Tachibana to fit an ejection seat, flies the Shinden fighter into its mouth and parachutes out, and Godzilla is blown apart. He finds Noriko in hospital with a dark mark spreading on her neck. On the sea floor, a piece of Godzilla begins to regenerate. Godzilla Minus Zero continues the story in November 2026.
Post-credits scenes
No. There is no post-credits scene.
Where to watch Godzilla Minus One
Godzilla Minus One is streaming on Netflix in the US. You can rent or buy it on Amazon, Apple TV, and Google Play.
Ratings
IMDb 7.6/10, Rotten Tomatoes 99%
Where it fits
- Release order: after Godzilla Singular Point, the latest.
- Chronological order: after Godzilla Singular Point, the last.
What to watch before Godzilla Minus One
In release order, the essentials before Godzilla Minus One (2023) are Shin Godzilla (2016), Godzilla: Planet of the Monsters (2017), Godzilla: City on the Edge of Battle (2018), Godzilla: The Planet Eater (2018), and Godzilla Singular Point (2021).
Cast
- Ryunosuke Kamiki as Koichi Shikishima
- Minami Hamabe as Noriko Oishi
- Yuki Yamada as Shiro Mizushima
- Munetaka Aoki as Sosaku Tachibana
- Hidetaka Yoshioka as Kenji Noda
- Sakura Ando as Sumiko Ota
- Kuranosuke Sasaki as Yoji Akitsu
- Sae Nagatani as Akiko
- Miou Tanaka as Captain Tatsuo Hotta
- Yuya Endo as Tadayuki Saito
- Kisuke Iida as Akio Itagaki
- Kenji Anan
Directed by Takashi Yamazaki.