The Best Godzilla Movie Heads Back To Theaters

The theatrical re-release is part of Toho’s anniversary celebration, with Godzilla Minus One coming back to the big screen on November 1. Godzilla Day, the official anniversary, is November 3, commemorating the original film’s 1954 release date. No end date has been announced for the anniversary event, but fans should assume it will be a relatively short theatrical run. 

Widely considered the best entry in the franchise, 2023’s Godzilla Minus One is the perfect way to celebrate everyone’s favorite giant lizard. It’s a classic take on the monster, set just after World War II and focused on Japan fending off the nuclear-powered creature. With a fairly small budget of around $10 million, it wowed audiences with its sense of scale and visual style. 

Part of what made Godzilla Minus One so notable was the acceptance it found outside of the franchise’s dedicated fans. It won critics over, earning an almost perfect 98 percent on Rotten Tomatoes. The film even won an Academy Award for Best Visual Effects, lending the film a degree of industry prestige that has rarely been offered to movies in the kaiju genre. 

The re-release also includes some incentives to bring fans who saw Godzilla Minus One in its original run back to the theater. Both the original and its black-and-white version, Godzilla Minus Color, will be available. The films will also include 13 minutes of new behind-the-scenes footage exclusive to the theatrical re-release. 

Godzilla Minus One getting a theatrical victory lap helps to illustrate just how good a time it is for the franchise, which is having something of an international renaissance. In 2016, Shin Godzilla was met with critical praise and accolades in Japan, raising the bar for the franchise’s ability to tackle serious subject matter and human drama. Meanwhile, the Hollywood-produced MonsterVerse has given fans who want a more mindless, fun approach to the character several movies and the TV spinoff Monarch to enjoy. 

While the theatrical re-release of Godzilla Minus One is great news for mega fans, those who would prefer to watch the movie from the comfort of their own home can do so in a multitude of ways. The movie is available to stream on Netflix and is available for digital purchase on multiple services. It is also available on Blu-Ray for those who prefer physical media. 

If you missed out on the original theatrical run of Godzilla Minus One, or you want to recreate your experience seeing it for the first time, now’s your chance. It’s a genuine masterpiece within the kaiju genre, elevating the often derided franchise into one of the decade’s best films. It’s hard to imagine a better way to celebrate the beloved franchise’s 70th birthday than seeing the absolute best it has to offer in theaters.