When it comes to Godzilla, if you’re a big enough fan, you’ll probably be of the opinion that they’re all worth watching, even the ones that aren’t very good. Truth be told, there aren’t many that are outright terrible, especially if you’re open to enjoying both the dark and horror-focused Godzilla films alongside the more light-hearted, explosive, and action-packed ones.
Then there are a few that kind of do a bit of both, and it all shows that Godzilla is a surprisingly versatile series. The titular monster is always there, as is (usually) another monster or two, but Godzilla himself can vary from hero to tragic villain to antihero, and the tone can be pretty much anything, too. As for the most rewatchable movies? It’s not exactly the same as picking the best, but lots of these are among the best. They also might be the most fun and/or the most interesting; the ones that either benefit from a second watch because they’re overwhelming or strange, or the ones that are just too much fun to only see a single time.
10
‘Godzilla vs. King Ghidorah’ (1991)
Godzilla vs. King Ghidorah is the one with the time travel. That’s the best way to describe it, since humanity is given the option of going back in time and taking out Godzilla before he’s at his most powerful. They do that, but then that leaves them vulnerable to attack from the other titular monster, and so the human race has to figure out another way to undo all the damage done.
It moves at a ferocious pace, and feels intense in some ways while also being quite silly in other regards. Tonally, Godzilla vs. King Ghidorah might be something of a mess, but it’s a super endearing mess. And it uses its time travel premise as a way to have a good bit of fun, and do something that stands out from the usual Godzilla-related stuff, and that’s worth both celebrating and rewatching. It’s a fun one, so it’s not hard to return to it.
9
‘Shin Godzilla’ (2016)
The first live-action Godzilla film of the 2010s was the American 2014 one, just called Godzilla, and it was better than the 1998 film of the same name (also American), that’s for sure. But the superior 2010s Godzilla movie did end up being the first (and only) Japanese live-action one of the decade: Shin Godzilla, which had a detached and oddly grounded look at what might happen if the titular monster appeared in 21st-century Japan.
The pacing of Shin Godzilla might be the only thing holding back rewatchability, but there’s a lot of great satire and dark comedy here that’s easier to pick up a second time around.
He’s more like a natural disaster on legs here than anything else, and though he’s certainly threatening, the Godzilla of Shin Godzilla is also quite pitiful. Pacing-wise, the movie does drag at a few points, which might be the only thing holding back rewatchability, but there’s a lot of great satire and dark comedy here that’s easier to pick up a second time around, perhaps after the shock of seeing a particularly grotesque take on Godzilla (who evolves throughout, no less) has worn off.
8
‘Godzilla vs. Hedorah’ (1971)
There’s an upcoming Godzilla movie hinting at a cosmic threat, since the title is Godzilla X Kong: Supernova, and rumblings that it could be Hedorah, making a return after debuting more than half a century ago. Hedorah was also seen briefly in a 2004 film that’ll be mentioned in a little while, but to be fair, there are some other cosmic villains that could be making an appearance in the next American Godzilla flick.
For now, at least Godzilla vs. Hedorah exists, and the titular Hedorah does make one hell of an impression here as a surprisingly powerful foe for Godzilla. Hedorah is a smoke monster that puts up a genuine fight, and also, Hedorah is sort of goofy and also kind of terrifying. There’s some weird stuff that goes on during this fever dream of a kaiju movie, and you will probably not be able to digest it all in one sitting… that’s if you even want to digest every ounce of the madness on offer here in the first place!
7
‘Godzilla’ (1954)
So, with the original Godzilla, it is pretty simple by the standards of the series, and quite quaint compared to what would come later. It is a vital film for the kaiju genre overall, but it does boil down to Godzilla emerging, people trying to figure out ways to defeat him, and then Japan enduring a good deal of damage while desperate plans are put into practice.
“Where’s the rewatchability factor?” one might be asking. Well, it’s good to rewatch the classics in general, but also, seeing Godzilla again after getting through most – or even all – of the films that followed it makes the original all the more fascinating. Godzilla (1954) gets scarier in hindsight, because you take it for granted a little the first time you watch it, and then seeing it again after all the more explosive and action-packed Godzilla films really drives home, even further, how eerie, somber, and harrowing it all is. It’s still quite the powerful watch, more than 70 years later.
6
‘Godzilla vs. Biollante’ (1989)
The best thing about Godzilla vs. Biollante is Biollante, which is one of the most impressively executed monsters in the history of the series. The special effects in this film are a cut above most Godzilla movies, and the story is honestly quite a bit more emotional than normal as well, since there’s a tragedy and an exploration of grief tied to the creation of Biollante itself.
So, you get some monster action here, and Godzilla vs. Biollante is thrilling when it needs to be, but it’s also effective on a technical and emotional front, and those aspects are the parts that are likely to take you off guard, in a good way. It’s one of the more underrated Godzilla films, so sometimes, the challenge is getting someone to see it once, but there’s more than enough here to suggest it’s worth watching more than just the one time, too.
5
‘Godzilla vs. Destoroyah’ (1995)
Belonging to the same continuity as the aforementioned Godzilla vs. Biollante and Godzilla vs. King Ghidorah, the Heisei era, that whole string of Godzilla films ends in an explosive and moving finale in Godzilla vs. Destoroyah. This film has a monster born out of the weapon that killed Godzilla in the first movie emerging, and then at the same time, Godzilla himself is also in meltdown mode, potentially about to explode like a nuclear bomb at any moment.
So, it’s an intense movie, and it doesn’t mess around with being grim when it wants to, either. It handles the heavier stuff well, to the point where Godzilla vs. Destoroyah truly is a highlight of the entire decades-spanning series. Maybe some might find it a bit too sad to watch again, but if you’re okay with the boldest “ending” to an era of Godzilla yet, then there are things to be gained from returning to a film this strong.
4
‘Destroy All Monsters’ (1968)
On the other end of things to Godzilla vs. Destoroyah, tonally speaking, is Destroy All Monsters, which also felt like it could’ve been a finale to the Showa era. It has a premise that involves so many monsters being thrown into the one story, with aliens releasing the monsters from the island they call home and getting them to cause destruction throughout the world.
There’s a rush to stop the destruction, and then fight back against the aliens, which the monsters do eventually help with (at least the good ones). So, with Destroy All Monsters, you get a movie that fits the bold and explosive title, as there’s a lot of action and monster carnage here. It’s a bit over-stuffed, maybe, and there’s nothing particularly deep to be found here, but Destroy All Monsters is very entertaining, and it proves rewatchable mostly for that reason.
3
‘Godzilla Minus One’ (2023)
There are plenty of hyperbolic things to say about Godzilla Minus One, which rejuvenated the series even though it went back further in the past than 1954. Essentially, it’s about Japan right after the end of World War II having to deal with Godzilla, and you come to care for the people who are just trying to survive, which makes it all more engrossing and exciting narratively.
It was one of the best movies released in 2023, and that’s saying quite a lot, since 2023 was a very good year for cinema. Godzilla Minus One is also probably the best sci-fi movie of that year, and if you want to count it as a horror film, then it takes the crown for that genre in that year, too. Again, there was a warning about hyperbole incoming, but Godzilla Minus One really is that good, and it might well be even more compelling, somehow, on repeat viewings.
2
‘Godzilla, Mothra and King Ghidorah: Giant Monsters All-Out Attack’ (2001)
A movie with ambitions to match that wildly huge title, Godzilla, Mothra and King Ghidorah: Giant Monsters All-Out Attack aims to rewrite what one can expect out of a Godzilla movie even more dramatically than Godzilla Minus One. It’s actually a good one to compare that 2023 Godzilla film to, since the version of Godzilla here is similarly vicious and willing to genuinely hurt people, much like the Godzilla in Godzilla Minus One seemed, on some level, actually vengeful.
In Godzilla, Mothra and King Ghidorah: Giant Monsters All-Out Attack, Godzilla is possessed by the spirits of people killed in World War II, and Mothra and King Ghidorah (the latter heroic for once) are giant guardian creatures summoned as a last resort to deal with a particularly nasty Godzilla. The whole movie heads into fantasy/supernatural territory more than the usual science fiction, and it really works. Mystical Godzilla ends up being fantastic, and everything else about the movie – including the above-average human characters and their whole storyline – makes this one truly sing.
1
‘Godzilla: Final Wars’ (2004)
If you want to cause some drama, barge into a group of Godzilla fans (be they congregated in real life or somewhere online) and tell them that you think Godzilla: Final Wars is the best Godzilla movie. Many will not react well, and technically, you’d be trolling them a bit, because it’s not quite the best… though it might well be the most entertaining and jam-packed, so it is rewatchable for sure.
Unless it just doesn’t click with you the first time. But if you’re open to the wildness at hand, and found it all a bit overwhelming the first time around (but still interesting), then maybe it’s worth watching the most bombastic and monster-filled of the Godzilla movies again. And if you liked the ridiculous action (some of it with the humans, rather than the kaiju-sized beasts) alongside the chaotic tone, then Godzilla: Final Wars ends up being just as much fun on repeat viewings. It’s a gonzo film, and a very silly one, but it’s also kind of glorious.
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