Last year's Godzilla Minus One blockbuster has landed on Netflix – weekend sorted!
Hailed as one of the best Godzilla movies ever, and enjoying a sky-high 98 per cent score on Rotten Tomatoes from both critics and audiences alike, the beloved monster movie is now free to watch for Netflix subscribers in several territories, including the UK, US and Australia.
This cult classic comes 70 years after the original movie was released and pays homage to the series with an engaging story backed by some predictably fantastic visuals.
This latest evolution landed in Japan and US theatres in November, with the UK theatrical release following in December, making over $115 million worldwide. It also won the Academy Award for Best Visual Effects and is available to stream in 4K video and Dolby Atmos surround sound, so it's a great example of a movie that will push your TV system to its limits and remind you why you spent so much time and effort on it in the first place.
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A Godzilla-sized instant hit
Despite being made on a rumoured 'mini-budget' of $10 million, Godzilla Minus One has delivered not only in cinemas worldwide but also on Netflix, where it shot straight to the number one spot after being released earlier this month.
The movie's producer and distributor, Toho Studios, is known for its more niche movies, and following the myriad Godzilla movies out there, the latest instalment was initially written off as 'just another'. But word soon got out that this was special and the following – and acclaim – began to grow.
Despite the buzz around during its theatrical release, Godzilla Minus One was relatively slow to hit streaming services, leading it to become the most pirated movie of the year, even surpassing Dune: Part Two.
A nod to the past
While the award-winningly special effects in Godzilla Minus One are stunningly realistic, there are still moments that carry the feel of the original movie; there are hints of stop-motion movements and a hue to the colours that nod to the classic fifties movie. The fact that it also features a lot of fifties themes, due to it being set in post-war Japan, is another ode to Godzillas of past.
Takashi Yamazaki wrote, directed and, using the ZBrush software, took on the SFX for this movie, so expect to see his name more after this success. No doubt major US studios will be interested in getting him on board near-future projects.
This little studio made a monster hit by focusing on the story and characters – without forgetting good effects – to outdo even the US-made franchise Godzillaverse movies of recent years. If you've not seen this yet and have Netflix, it's a must-watch for this weekend.
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