Godzilla Is The King Of Netflix

First stomping into cinemas throughout Japan on November 3, 2023, to coincide with the 70th anniversary of the franchise, Godzilla Minus One would eventually make its way over the ocean to take U.S. audiences by storm on January 26, 2024. The movie quickly became one of the most talked-about productions in America, with word-of-mouth spreading that this was a monster flick you didn’t want to miss. 

One of dozens of titles in the Godzilla franchise, Godzilla Minus One transports audiences back to some of the most challenging days in Japan’s history as the country tries to pick up the pieces caused by the Second World War. Just as they’re getting back on their feet, the people of Japan are hit with another foe – this time in the form of the legendary mythical monster who steps out of the ocean off the coastline of Tokyo.

Seeing this as the perfect time to redeem himself for the last time Godzilla reared his head, a young man named Koichi (Ryunsoku Kamiki) sees the monster’s rise as his best chance at redemption.  

Immediately upon its release, the 37th film in the Godzilla franchise was met with critical acclaim, heralding it as one of the best movies to come from the entire film series. The visual effects took home an extra piece of praise, with the project’s director and writer, Takashi Yamazaki, also being the head of the VFX team. A co-production between Toho Studios and Robot Communications, Godzilla Minus One also made major waves for the former, marking it as the production company’s 33rd entry into the franchise.

Financially, Godzilla Minus One more than covered its production budget of $10-12 million, raking in a whopping $115.8 million globally by the time it left theaters. The movie also gave audiences the option of keeping up with the monster on the biggest screen possible, celebrating an incredibly successful IMAX opening, earning $1.2 from 49 IMAX cinemas. These numbers also marked a monumental moment for Japan as they launched Godzilla Minus One to be the most profitable IMAX opening for a live-action Japanese film.

And then there was the award circuit, which Godzilla Minus One completely gobbled up. Its visual effects team secured honor after honor at ceremonies including Asian Film Awards, Critics’ Choice Awards, Japan Academy Film Prize, Visual Effects Society Awards, and the Academy Awards. Now, the production is making history all over again as it finds itself at the top of Netflix while simultaneously toppling the video-on-demand charts, with viewers happy to shell over their hard-earned cash to catch the biggest Godzilla movie in years.