Godzilla Minus One Officially Takes Over Netflix Streaming Before Sequel Release

Ahead of the release of Godzilla Minus Zero on November 6, the original Takashi Yamazaki movie has taken over Netflix. Per JustWatch, the 2023 film, Godzilla Minus One that gave Yamazaki worldwide fame (and an Oscar award), is currently trending on the streaming platform.

The film is #2 on the list of top 10 movies trending right now on Netflix, which means that more and more people are going through the original film to prepare themselves for the upcoming sequel. In fact, the 2023 movie is ranked #1 on the JustWatch Daily Streaming Charts, the same place where the movie was yesterday.

Godzilla Minus Zero Is Director Takashi Yamazaki’s Response to Oppenheimer

A still from Godzilla Minus Zero | Credits: GKIDS

Ever since 1954 (when the first Godzilla appeared on the big screen), the kaiju movies have always had a hint of an anti-war and anti-nuclear message hidden in them.

In fact, the giant monster is often shown to be the creation of radiation, which directly references the bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki by the United States during World War II. Coincidentally, Godzilla Minus One and Christopher Nolan’s Oppenheimer were both released in 2023, and both carried similar themes and tones of anti-nuclear and anti-war.

Shortly after winning the Academy Award for Best Visual Effects for his 2023 movie, director Takashi Yamazaki had a chance to talk with Christopher Nolan. TIME reports that Yamazaki revealed his plans to make a film that is an answer to Nolan’s Oppenheimer.

As part of our conversation I told him, ‘One day I think I would like to make a response to your movie,’ In my mind I was thinking I’d develop a film that looks directly at Hiroshima. But then I began thinking, ‘Wait—Godzilla is itself a metaphor for nuclear war.

The answer is, of course, Godzilla Minus Zero, as the sequel improves upon the original with bigger and badder kaiju battling it out. With Japan trying to rebuild society after the events of the first film, Godzilla Minus Zero escalates the stakes, something that Takashi learned from James Cameron.

Being Yamazaki’s response to Nolan’s Oppenheimer, the upcoming sequel essentially shows Japan’s POV into the post-effects of World War II, and a society trying to rebuild itself from the devastation of war. Naturally, the film had to have great reviews.

Early Reviews For Godzilla Minus Zero Promise Theatrical Success

A still from Godzilla Minus Zero | Credits: GKIDS

Improving upon the plot of the original, Godzilla Minus Zero sees the Shikishima family facing an all-new threat as Godzilla returns to wreak havoc. It has also been revealed that there are reportedly two kaijus fighting it out in Japan, with humanity getting demolished in between.

Ahead of the release of the film, critics have given Godzilla Minus Zero a score of 90% on Rotten Tomatoes. Although critics pointed out that the plot has uneven pacing, the spectacle of the kaiju is nothing short of impressive.

Naturally, the early reviews for the Takashi Yamazaki movie have been quite great, and anticipation and hype amongst fans is quite real. With the original movie trending right now on Netflix, it seems that the sequel might see great theatrical success upon launch.

Are you excited for the release of Godzilla Minus Zero? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below.

Godzilla Minus Zero will release in theaters on November 6, 2026.