I love me some Japanese monster films! They are some of the best in cinema. From 50-feet monsters to deranged killers to flesh-eating humans, Japanese cinema doesn’t disappoint. Here are my top five picks of monster films and sci-fi thrillers. As always, I recommend you watch them first before sharing them with children under the age of 14. Some themes may be too intense for young children.
Godzilla (1954)
This cult classic monster film spawned a series of films, where the audience gets to see Godzilla play both protagonist and antagonist. TOHO films originally created Godzilla. TOHO is a Japanese film company, who made Godzilla their antihero. The official artwork supports this. Godzilla wasn’t alone. He shared his habitat with others of his kind until a massive explosion destroyed the habitat. Only Godzilla survived. He was enraged over the loss of his companions and sought to destroy those who murdered them. This drew him to the surface, where his mission was to obliterate all humans.
I always viewed Godzilla as being lonely. Crop it up to childhood fantasy, but I have a deep passion for character development. I love to analyze a character’s motives. What drives the character to commit their acts? Godzilla suffered an agonizing loss over losing his tribe. He is the last of his kind. All he could focus on was killing those who murdered them.
I always wondered why they never created a female Godzilla. An American production would have been created in the sequel. [lol] There’s a series of Godzilla films that you can rent via DVD Netflix. The 2019 Godzilla film is currently in theaters. Check it out!
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The Face of Another (1966)
Tatsuya Nakadai receives a new face after he was in a horrific accident. What should have been a life returned to normal, he discovers his new look comes for a terrible price. This commentary on plastic surgery should be a must-wats for anyone considering the procedure. Hiroshi Teshigahara’s sci-fi drama focuses on the perils of allowing self-image to govern your life. He successfully shows a contrast to Nakadai with the story of a scarred young woman who must cope with facial disfigurement.
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Mothra (1961)
The film is one of my all-time favorite Japanese monster films. Mothra must fly to Japan to rescue the singing fairies of Infant Island. The fairies were abducted by an evil man.
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Matango: Attack of the Mushroom People (1963)
There are poisonous mushrooms and mushrooms with psychotropic effects. In “Matango: Attack of the Mushroom People,” the fungi in the mushrooms turn some of the people into flesh-eating monsters. I’m definitely going to be looking at my shroom burger sideways!
Castaways are stranded on an island. While they await repairs to the sea vessel, they become hungry and eat what’s growing in their temporary habitat. The food has disastrous effects for some of the castaways.
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The H-Man (1958)
From the sewers, he arose radioactive and ready to devour human flesh! The once low-level drug runner disappeared only to return to feast on those who betrayed him, with a few extra humans for dessert. The film could be considered a precursor to sci-fi noir films Jean-Luc Godard’s “Alphaville” and Ridley Scott’s “Blade Runner.”
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You can watch the films I recommend with your family or friends (depending on the rating) over a huge bowl of popcorn. Rent them from DVD Netflix via dvd.netflix.com. Add them to your queue today. If you don’t have an account, you can sign-up for a free month. If you decide to keep the membership, pay as little as $7.99 per month to enjoy DVD Netflix’s massive database of blockbusters, documentaries, independent films, and more.
Disclaimer: As a DVD Nation Director, for introducing the DVD Netflix service to you, as well as writing about some awesome movies to rent that can be challenging to find anywhere else, I’m rewarded and always happy to share awesome movies with you. #dvd20 #dvdnation #ad
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