Movies like The Return of Godzilla (1984)
The best movies like The Return of Godzilla (1984) are Shin Godzilla (2016), Godzilla Minus Zero (2026) and Godzilla, Mothra and King Ghidorah: Giant Monsters All-Out Attack (2001). If The Return of Godzilla hooked you with its science fiction and action, these 30 similar films are what to watch next, and every pick says why it matches.
Quick picks
- Highest ratedAlien (1979)8.2/10 from 17,121 votes
- NewestGodzilla Minus Zero (2026)Released 2026
- In JapaneseShin Godzilla (2016)Also in Japanese
Shin Godzilla (2016)
When a massive, gilled monster emerges from the deep and tears through the city, the government scrambles to save its citizens. A rag-tag team of volunteers cuts through a web of red tape to uncover the monster's weakness and its mysterious ties to a foreign superpower. But time is not on their side - the greatest catastrophe to ever befall the world is about to evolve right before their very eyes.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both action & science fiction
Worth the HypeMovies like thisGodzilla Minus Zero (2026)
War reduced Japan to zero, and Godzilla plunged it into minus. Two years have passed since then, and the country has faced agonizing struggles to achieve recovery and finally reclaim its daily life. Just as humanity managed to cling to a hard-won peace, a new threat strikes, crushing hope in an instant. There is no third time. Everything ends here.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both science fiction & horror
Worth the HypeMovies like thisGodzilla, Mothra and King Ghidorah: Giant Monsters All-Out Attack (2001)
Godzilla has become a distant memory for Japan when the destruction of a US submarine raises alarms for Admiral Tachibana. His estranged daughter Yuri investigates the legend of the guardian monsters, who must rise to protect Japan against the vengeful spirits within Godzilla that seek to destroy both the nation and its people for the suffering they inflicted in the Pacific conflict.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both action & horror
Worth the HypeMovies like thisGodzilla Minus One (2023)
In postwar Japan, Godzilla brings new devastation to an already scorched landscape. With no military intervention or government help in sight, the survivors must join together in the face of despair and fight back against an unrelenting horror.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both science fiction & horror
Worth the HypeMovies like thisGodzilla vs. Destoroyah (1995)
A burning Godzilla, on the verge of meltdown, emerges to lay siege to Hong Kong. At the same time horrifying new organisms are discovered in Japan. These crustacean-like beings are seemingly born of the Oxygen Destroyer, the weapon that killed the original Godzilla.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both action & science fiction
Worth the HypeMovies like thisGigantis, the Fire Monster (1959)
A prehistoric monster called Gigantis emerges alongside another creature named Angurus.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both action & horror
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisGodzilla Raids Again (1955)
Two fishing scout pilots make a horrifying discovery when they encounter a second Godzilla alongside a new monster named Anguirus. Without the weapon that killed the original, authorities attempt to lure Godzilla away from the mainland. But Anguirus soon arrives and the two monsters make their way towards Osaka as Japan braces for tragedy.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both science fiction & horror
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisGodzilla vs. Hedorah (1971)
An ever evolving alien life-form arrives on a comet from the Dark Gaseous Nebula and proceeds to consume pollution. Spewing mists of sulfuric acid and corrosive sludge, neither humanity nor Godzilla may be able to defeat this toxic menace.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both science fiction & action
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisGodzilla, King of the Monsters! (1956)
During an assignment, foreign correspondent Steve Martin spends a layover in Tokyo and is caught amid the rampage of an unstoppable prehistoric monster the Japanese call 'Godzilla'. The only hope for both Japan and the world lies on a secret weapon, which may prove more destructive than the monster itself.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both science fiction & horror
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisGodzilla 1985 (1985)
Originally released in Japan as "The Return of Godzilla" in 1984, this is the heavily re-edited, re-titled "Godzilla 1985". Adding in new footage of Raymond Burr, this 16th Godzilla film ignores all previous sequels and serves as a direct follow-up to the 1956 "Godzilla King of the Monsters", which also featured scenes with Burr edited into 1954's "Godzilla". This film restores the darker tone of the original, as we witness the nuclear destruction of giant lizard terrorizing Japan.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both action & science fiction
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisEbirah, Horror of the Deep (1966)
Searching for his brother, Ryota stows away on a boat belonging to a criminal alongside two other teenagers. The group shipwrecks on Letchi island and discover the Infant Island natives have been enslaved by a terrorist organization controlling a crustacean monster. Finding a sleeping Godzilla, they decide to awaken him to defeat the terrorists and liberate the natives.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both science fiction & action
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisGodzilla 2000: Millennium (1999)
An independent group of researchers called the Godzilla Prediction Network (GPN) actively track Godzilla as he makes landfall in Nemuro. Matters are further complicated when a giant meteor is discovered in the Ibaragi Prefecture. The mysterious rock begins to levitate as it's true intentions for the world and Godzilla are revealed.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both action & science fiction
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisGodzilla vs. SpaceGodzilla (1994)
A mysterious extraterrestrial being resembling Godzilla rapidly approaches Earth. The monster, dubbed SpaceGodzilla, lands to challenge the King of the Monsters.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both action & science fiction
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisGodzilla vs. Mechagodzilla (1974)
An Okinawan prophecy that foretells the destruction of the Earth is seeming fulfilled when Godzilla emerges to return to his destructive roots. But not all is what it seems after Godzilla breaks his ally Anguirus's jaw. Matters are further complicated when a second Godzilla emerges, revealing the doppelgänger as a mechanical weapon.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both action & science fiction
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisGamera 3: Revenge of Iris (1999)
With the Gyaos re-emerging, Gamera's ties to humanity have been severed with his bond to Asagi broken. Nagamine and Asagi investigate while an orphaned girl named Ayana discovers a new creature she names Iris. Nagamine and Asagi must reach Ayana before she takes her revenge on Gamera, who she blames for the death of her family.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both science fiction & horror
Worth the HypeMovies like thisGodzilla x Kong: The New Empire (2024)
Following their explosive showdown, Godzilla and Kong must reunite against a colossal undiscovered threat hidden within our world, challenging their very existence – and our own.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both action & science fiction
Worth the HypeMovies like thisGodzilla (1954)
Japan is thrown into a panic after several ships are sunk near Odo Island. An expedition to the island led by Dr. Kyohei Yamane soon discover something far more devastating than imagined in the form of a 50 meter tall monster whom the natives call Gojira. Now the monster begins a rampage that threatens to destroy not only Japan, but the rest of the world as well.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both horror & science fiction
Worth the HypeMovies like thisRodan (1956)
Mining engineer Shigeru investigates the disappearance and death of his fellow coworkers when prehistoric nymphs are discovered emerging from the mines. After an attack on the local village, Shigeru heads deeper into the mines only to make a more horrifying discovery in the form a prehistoric flying creature. Soon a second monster appears as the two converge in Fukuoka.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both horror & science fiction
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisKing Kong vs. Godzilla (1962)
The advertising director of Pacific Pharmaceuticals, frustrated with the low ratings of their sponsored TV program, seeks a more sensationalist approach. He orders his staff to Faro Island to capture King Kong for exploitation. As Godzilla re-emerges, a media frenzy generates with Pacific looking to capitalize off of the ultimate battle.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both science fiction & action
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisInvasion of Astro-Monster (1965)
Astronauts Glenn and Fuji investigate Planet X and encounter mysterious aliens known as the Xiliens, who ask Earth's people to help save their world from "Monster Zero". In exchange for borrowing Godzilla and Rodan, the Xiliens offer a cure for cancer. As Glenn investigates, he develops a romance with Miss Namikawa and uncovers the Xilien's true intentions.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both science fiction & action
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisThe Guyver (1991)
FBI agent Max Reed witnesses Dr. Tetsu Segawa - a researcher for the mysterious Chronos Corporation - being murdered. Dr. Segawa had stolen an alien device known as "The Guyver" from Chronos. College student Sean Barker, whose girlfriend's father was Dr. Segawa, finds the Guyver's hiding spot while watching the forensic team investigating the crime scene.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both science fiction & action
SnoozefestMovies like thisAlien (1979)
During its return to the earth, commercial spaceship Nostromo intercepts a distress signal from a distant planet. When a three-member team of the crew discovers a chamber containing thousands of eggs on the planet, a creature inside one of the eggs attacks an explorer. The entire crew is unaware of the impending nightmare set to descend upon them when the alien parasite planted inside its unfortunate host is birthed.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both horror & science fiction
Absolute CinemaMovies like thisKamen Rider Black: Terror! Demon Mansion at Devil's Pass (1988)
The city of Yūbari in the Hokkaido prefecture has become a ghost town following the presence of Shadow Moon and his minions of Gorgom. Makino, a scientist working on Gorgom's top-secret robot experiment, escapes from the evil organization and returns to Tokyo, only to find out that his wife and daughter have been abducted. As Kamen Rider Black, Kotaro travels to Yubari to save Makino's family and liberate the town from Shadow Moon's evil grasp.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both science fiction & action
Kikaider Reboot (2014)
In the near future, the brilliant Dr. Komyoji is enlisted to lead the ARK Project—a scientific endeavor dedicated to forging a brighter tomorrow through robotics. However, the doctor’s mysterious death puts those plans to an abrupt hold... Not long after, the grieving Komyoji children wander into the crosshairs of a black ops squad on the hunt for their father’s research. But from within the cross fire emerges Jiro—a bleeding-edge android programmed to protect the siblings! Now on the run, the Komyojis soon discover their father’s once hopeful ambitions have taken a DARK turn...
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both action & science fiction
Godzilla (1998)
French nuclear tests irradiate an iguana into a giant monster that viciously attacks freighter ships in the Pacific Ocean. A team of experts, including Niko Tatopoulos, conclude that the oversized reptile is the culprit. Before long, the giant lizard is loose in Manhattan as the US military races to destroy the monster before it reproduces and it's spawn takes over the world.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both science fiction & action
SnoozefestMovies like thisThe Amazing Spider-Man (2012)
A teenage Peter Parker grapples with both high school and amazing super-human crises as his alter-ego Spider-Man.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both action & science fiction
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisKamen Rider × Kamen Rider Gaim & Wizard: The Fateful Feudal Movie Wars (2013)
The story is divided in three portions. The Kamen Rider Wizard portion, Kamen Rider Wizard: The Promised Place, taking place after the finale and defeating Amadum. The Kamen Rider Gaim's portion of the film is titled Kamen Rider Gaim: Sengoku Battle Royale!. A battle royale is being held exclusively for the Armored Riders in Zawame City. In the final portion of the film, titled Sengoku Movie Battle, Kamen Riders Wizard and Beast join Kamen Rider Gaim in the alternate world to stop Kamen Rider Bujin Gaim from acquiring the "ultimate power" he seeks.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both action & science fiction
Bakuage Sentai Boonboomger VS King-Ohger (2025)
Nicola, who has ascended to the throne as the queen of Planet Trickle, has decided to form an alliance with Planet Chikyu. Bakuage Sentai Boonboomger has been invited to act as witnesses. However, a remnant of the Hashiriyan named Manhole Grumer appears and steals the jewel that's been passed down in the Trickle royal family from Nicola! Furthermore, Minongan, one of Dagded's five jesters appears and steals the Ohgercalibur ZERO, which was prepared for the alliance ceremony! The Ohsama Sentai King-Ohger rushes to the scene and fights alongside the Boonboomger, but the warriors are separated by Manhole Grumer's mysterious power. Taiya and the others were scattered across the stars, each take action to escape from this dire situation. Soon, a dangerous heartbeat begins to resonate from deep underground. As a powerful evil awakens, will the two great Super Sentai be able to come together again fight together?! The battle for the three planets begins now!!
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both action & science fiction
Hellboy (2019)
Hellboy comes to England, where he must defeat Nimue, Merlin's consort and the Blood Queen. But their battle will bring about the end of the world, a fate he desperately tries to turn away.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both horror & action
SnoozefestMovies like thisBeware Boiúna (2026)
A medical mission deep in the Amazon becomes a desperate fight for survival when a colossal ancient predator awakens, turning the jungle into a deadly battleground where nature decides who lives and dies.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both horror & action
Popcorn FlickMovies like this
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Frequently asked questions
What are the best movies like The Return of Godzilla?
The closest matches to The Return of Godzilla are Shin Godzilla (2016), Godzilla Minus Zero (2026) and Godzilla, Mothra and King Ghidorah: Giant Monsters All-Out Attack (2001). Below are 27 more, each with the reason it matches.
What should I watch after The Return of Godzilla?
Start with Shin Godzilla (2016), the closest match to The Return of Godzilla.
What is the highest-rated movie like The Return of Godzilla?
Alien (1979), rated 8.2/10 by 17,121 TMDB users.
What is the newest movie like The Return of Godzilla?
Godzilla Minus Zero (2026) is the most recent release on this list.
Are there Japanese movies like The Return of Godzilla?
Yes: Shin Godzilla (2016), Godzilla Minus Zero (2026) and Godzilla, Mothra and King Ghidorah: Giant Monsters All-Out Attack (2001).
How are movies similar to The Return of Godzilla chosen?
First come films that Trakt’s viewers watch alongside The Return of Godzilla, then TMDB’s recommendations and films it rates as similar in story and genre. Each pick says which signal put it there.