"That monster will never forgive us": Trauma, Grief, and the Continuous Haunting of Post-War Japan in Godzilla Minus One

Since its release, the film Godzilla Minus One (2023) has received much critical acclaim for its screenplay, visual effects, performances, musical score, and notably, social commentary. The impact of this film can arguably be attributed to the powerful and complex portrayal of the Japan’s post-World War II trauma and the national guilt that riddles their society. In this paper, I make the case that Godzilla Minus One successfully encapsulates the “grief horror” subgenre and denies the audience the cathartic release from the horrors that they’ve experienced. By invoking Derrida’s idea of hauntology, I argue that Godzilla functions as a specter of World War II that continues to haunt Japan and its people that can never be completely exorcised. Ultimately, the persistent return of Godzilla provides an accurate reflection of Japanese sentiments regarding the aftermath of the atomic bomb and the inescapable trauma that continuously pervades their nation.