Nocturnal 
The first reviews for Godzilla Minus Zero are finally here, and critics reckon it’s bigger, bolder and somehow even more visually impressive than the Oscar-winning Godzilla Minus One.
The film had its world premiere at the New York Film Festival, giving critics their first proper look before it lands in cinemas on 6 November. It’s a follow-up to 2023’s Godzilla Minus One, picking up the story two years on and once again following the Shikishima family as Godzilla returns to battle another enormous creature.
What the critics are saying
The consensus so far is that director Takashi Yamazaki has genuinely upped the scale. Dan Bayer of Next Best Picture wrote that “Yamazaki and his team have doubled down on the spectacle of their last film, pushing the tension to new heights.”
Eli Friedberg of Slant Magazine went further, saying the film’s “multiple sequences of mass destruction thoroughly eclipse those of Godzilla Minus One in terms of complexity, creativity, and VFX fidelity” – big praise given that Minus One’s effects work picked up an Academy Award.
Others were similarly won over. Edward Douglas of The Weekend Warrior called it “even better than Godzilla Minus One in every way,” while Lexi Amoriello of Movie Recs by Lex said it was “everything I could have wanted from a follow-up.”
David Gonzalez of The Cinematic Reel admitted he “walked in wondering how Yamazaki could possibly follow Minus One and walked out having laughed, cheered, and, somehow, cried during a Godzilla movie.” Molly Edwards of GamesRadar+ called it “easily one of the best films of the year,” and Jake Kleinman of Polygon described the approach as “the right kind of doubling down.”
Not everyone is convinced
It’s not a unanimous love-in, though. Some reviewers reckon the sequel doesn’t quite match the emotional depth of the original.
Katie Rife of Inverse called it “a worthy follow-up” but added that “Godzilla Minus Zero lacks the clarity of purpose of Minus One… The human elements aren’t as cohesive.”
Nick Schager of The Daily Beast was the most critical, warning that “with great expectations sometimes come considerable letdowns, and that’s certainly the case.” He also noted that fans hoping to see plenty of Godzilla early on “will have to wait, and wait, and wait for the real-deal goods,” suggesting die-hards craving “truly peak Godzilla madness” might prefer to revisit the first film.
William Bibbiani of TheWrap called it “a fine film full of excitement and grandeur” but said it was “noticeably sillier than Godzilla Minus One” – a mixed verdict that sums up the overall split in reaction.
When can you watch it
Despite the disagreement over whether it tops the original, the general mood among critics is positive, with several praising its opening scenes for capturing what made Minus One so beloved: striking visual effects, tense action and a real sense of scale.
Godzilla Minus Zero is set to open in cinemas on 6 November, giving fans of the kaiju franchise the chance to judge the bigger, bolder sequel for themselves.
