Netflix surprisingly streams sci-fi hit that smashed into this year's Oscars

Arguably the best sci-fi movie of 2023 is now available to stream

Godzilla Minus One
(Image credit: Toho Studios)
Quick Summary

Godzilla Minus One has surprisingly arrived on Netflix, to stream globally save for in Japan or France.

The Oscar-winning movie has a incredible score of 98% on Rotten Tomatoes too, and is available in the original Japanese with subtitles or an English dub.

There may well be a new Godzilla movie in cinemas right now, in the form of Godzilla x Kong, but arguably the best film in the franchise was released last year and wasn't hyped quite so much.

Godzilla Minus One was released globally last December and, even though the original is in Japanese, it smashed the box office in both Asia and the west – making a combined total of around $116 million on an estimated $15 million budget.

The movie then smashed its way in the Academy Awards earlier this year, snagging the Oscar for Best Achievement in Visual Effects.

Now you can find out why for yourself because, as a nice surprise, Netflix has secured the streaming service rights to carry it everywhere save for Japan and France – and in 4K with Dolby Vision and Dolby Atmos for Netflix Premium members, to boot.

Made by Toho, the originator of the Godzilla films and studio behind the vast majority of releases since the 1954 debut, the latest goes back to post-war Japan and revisits the monster's origin.

It is rated 98% by both critics and viewers alike, putting it on a pedestal far above the Monsterverse movies of the last decade that have been made in co-production with Warner Bros.

Minus One was directed by Takashi Yamazaki, who has a strong history in animated features and TV episodes – which partly explains the excellent visual effects. And the movie has a strong cast, including Ryunosuke Kamiki and Minami Hamabe.

There's also a version dubbed into English, lead by Darren Bennet (Road House), Ell (General Hospital) and Nelson Lee (Ahsoka), which is the default for Netflix. However, you can switch back to the Japanese original with subtitles (our preferred option).

The film runs for just over two hours – a rare treat these days, when directors are keen to keep us in our seats for over three – and it's available to watch on Netlfix across multiple streaming devices now.

Rik Henderson
News Editor

Rik is T3’s news editor, which means he looks after the news team and the up-to-the-minute coverage of all the hottest gadgets and products you’ll definitely want to read about. And, with more than 35 years of experience in tech and entertainment journalism, including editing and writing for numerous websites, magazines, and newspapers, he’s always got an eye on the next big thing.

Rik also has extensive knowledge of AV, TV streaming and smart home kit, plus just about everything to do with games since the late 80s. Prior to T3, he spent 13 years at Pocket-lint heading up its news team, and was a TV producer and presenter on such shows as Channel 4's GamesMaster, plus Sky's Games World, Game Over, and Virtual World of Sport.