Everything about Minus One feels like a return to the golden age of Godzilla, a love letter to the original film and era. Set in the 1940s post WWII, the film is shot like a 40s film, acted like a film from the 40s, scored with music that feels right out of that time, with even the effects made to give the feel that you are watching a golden age movie.
Minus One is a very different take on Godzilla than the recent American series of monster movies based on the character and Kong. Unlike that series where the titular kaiju is portrayed as an ancient guardian protecting humanity, this monster is pure destruction. He is war itself. This is about a nation reeling from loss and finding a reason to live despite it all.
The melodrama is laid on thick but due to the setting and the film's narrative it truly works. The film commits to its setting and approach and you get sucked into the stories of these lost souls.
But the real strength (no surprise) is the monster himself. Godzilla very much reminiscent of the man-in-the-suit style creatures of the past yet still terrifying as the all out carnage he represents. The effects are strong and every moment he is on screen is exciting. The mayhem is felt in every thunderous step he takes. And this is the point of these movies, isn't it? To shake in the awe of Godzilla.
Godzilla Minus One
Writer/Director: Takashi Yamazaki
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