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Movie · Sci-fi, Action, Drama · 2023 · PG-13

Godzilla Minus One: parents' guide

12+our pick

Best for ages 12 and up. Rated PG-13 for creature violence and action.

A surprisingly emotional monster movie for tweens and up, set in postwar Japan, about a former kamikaze pilot who dodged his mission and must face both his guilt and a giant creature. Godzilla stomps people, snatches them in its jaws, and levels part of Tokyo with an atomic-style blast that kills tens of thousands. Wartime loss, a baby orphaned by bombing and survivor's guilt are central. Language is mild and there is no sexual content. The large-scale death and dark wartime themes are why we suggest 12.

What's in it

Violence

Moderate

Godzilla crushes people underfoot, grabs them in its jaws, and destroys ships, trains and a city, with mass deaths implied. Soldiers' bloodied bodies are shown, a man is clubbed with a pipe, and another is punched.

Language

Mild

Mild: Plugged In counted hell and damn three times each, plus words like idiot, stupid and screwed.

Sex and nudity

Mild

A slow-building romance between the two leads stays mostly unspoken until the end. A young woman is briefly and wrongly suspected of being a prostitute, and a man is teased about a woman he likes. No nudity.

Drinking, drugs and smoking

Mild

Adults drink sake with meals, one drinks more when upset and is accused of being drunk, and some characters smoke in the background.

Scary or intense scenes

Moderate

Intense attacks with screaming crowds, a mushroom cloud and black rain, and a guilt-ridden former kamikaze pilot who has nightmares about dead comrades and appears set on a suicide mission. A baby is orphaned by bombing, and children killed in air raids are discussed.

Sensitive topics

  • Death of a parent
  • Suicide

Worth talking about

Shikishima was taught that dying for his country was honorable. How does the film question that idea, and what does it say about choosing to live?

Where to stream →

On our lists

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Checked October 13th, 2026 against Common Sense Media, Plugged In, movieguide.org, Rotten Tomatoes, bbfc.co.uk. The age is our judgment, not an official rating, and every family draws its lines differently: read the notes, not just the number. Spotted something we missed? Tell us. How we rate.