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Kaiju films have always made roaring business on the big screen. Be it Godzilla or King Kong, these monsters have found an audience since the 1960s.
For the unversed, Kaiju is a Japanese word for media containing giant monsters. Godzilla and King Kong are the most popular ones, with almost 50 films revolving around them. Nicknamed 'The King of the Monster' (Godzilla) and the 'Eighth Wonder of the World' (Kong), both the monsters have fought epic battles with one another thrice - once in the '60s, then in 2021, and in the 2024 film Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire.
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However, several other kaiju are equally powerful and dominating, but are often missed from popular culture. Here is a list of 6 such films.
6 Kaiju films to watch if you love the destruction caused by King Kong and Godzilla
1) Cloverfield (2008)
The Cloverfield franchise is one of the most realistic kaiju movies. A weird spindly massive creature is the center of attraction in this film. However, it is the POV style of shooting that makes it stand out from the crowd.
The film is directed by Matt Reeves, with a cast including Mike Vogel, Jessica Lucas, and Lizzy Caplan. The film's plot revolves around a group of friends who set out to rescue a girl while New York is being rampaged by a monster.
2) Pacific Rim (2013)
Directed by Guillermo Del Toro, Pacific Rim helped spread the popularity of kaiju. The film differs from other monster movies because it introduces the idea of robots fighting massive monsters. The cast of the film includes Idris Elba, Charlie Hunnam, and Rinko Kikuchi.
The film's official synopsis on the Legendary Pictures' website is as follows:
"To combat the giant Kaiju, a special type of weapon was devised: massive robots, called Jaegers, which are controlled simultaneously by two pilots whose minds are synched via a neural bridge, called “The Drift.” But as the enemy grows more powerful with each attack, even the Jaegers are proving nearly defenseless in the face of the relentless Kaiju."
3) Gamera 3: Revenge of the Iris (1999)
Daiei Film created the fire-breathing turtle, Gamera, as a response to Godzilla's success. Being the third installment of the Gamera kaiju, this film has the most innovative special effects and effective storytelling.
The movie is directed by Shusuke Kaneko, with a cast including Shinobu Nakayama, Ai Maeda, and Yukijiro Hotaru. The narrative focuses on Iris, a monster who is raised to take revenge on Gamera for the death of Ayana's parents.
4) Gorgo (1961)
Gorgo is the UK's attempt at kaiju. Large-finned and gnarly, the film captures the violence of the monster with great skill. Directed by Eugene Lourie, this underrated sea monster film uses special effects to inspire feelings of dread among audiences.
The film stars Bill Travers, William Sylvester, and Vincent Winter in the titular roles. It follows the story of a giant lizard as it is captured at sea and sold to a circus in London. However, soon his mother comes to rescue him and wreaks havoc on the city.
5) The Beast From 20,000 Fathoms (1953)
The Beast From 20,000 Fathoms is one of the first kaiju to be made in America. Animated by the legendary Ray Harryhausen, the stop-motion effects used to create the dinosaur paved the way for future films featuring deadly monsters.
Directed by Eugene Lourie, this black-and-white film features Cecil Kellaway, Paula Raymond, and Paul Hubschmid. The movie depicts the destruction caused by a dinosaur awakened as a result of atomic tests in New York City.
6) Colossal (2016)
Breaking the stereotypes around a kaiju film, Colossal uses the monster as a metaphor for the trouble in the protagonist's life. The film is a dark comedy that features some thrilling action sequences and a monster that pushes the film into sci-fi territory. It is directed by Nacho Vigalondo, with a star-studded cast ensemble including Anne Hathaway, Jason Sudeikis, and Austin Stowell.
On Voltage Pictures' website, the film is described as:
"When news reports surface that a giant creature is destroying Seoul, Korea, Gloria gradually comes to the realization that she is somehow connected to this far-off phenomenon. As events begin to spin out of control, Gloria must determine why her seemingly insignificant existence has such a colossal effect on the fate of the world."
These 6 films from the monsterverse will fill your days with fun and terror, all at the same time.
