Godzilla is the undisputed king of the monsters. The iconic Japanese kaiju first stomped onto screens in 1954 and launched a global pop culture phenomenon spanning decades of sequels, reboots, cartoons, comics, video games and more. If you’re a fan of giant monsters rampaging through cities and battling each other, then Godzilla is the granddaddy of them all.
But Godzilla is far from the only giant monster in town. The immense popularity of Godzilla has inspired countless other movies about humongous creatures rising from the depths to wreak havoc on humanity. If you love Godzilla but are looking for other titanic terrors to satisfy your kaiju cravings, we’ve got you covered. Here are the 20 best movies like Godzilla to add to your must-watch list:
1. King Kong (1933)
The other reigning monarch of the movie monsters, the mighty King Kong is Godzilla’s chief rival for the crown. Though Kong first appeared over 20 years before Godzilla, the two titans are inextricably linked as the most famous giant movie monsters of all time.
The original 1933 King Kong is a stop-motion animated masterpiece that revolutionized visual effects and inspired every giant monster movie since, Godzilla included. Filmed during the Great Depression, Kong’s tragic tale of a misunderstood beast captured and exploited by greedy humans struck a chord and made him an instant icon of the movies.
Why it’s like Godzilla: Kong is a giant prehistoric beast who breaks free of human chains to rampage through a major city (New York instead of Tokyo), causing massive destruction. The visual of Kong atop the Empire State Building is as indelible as Godzilla reducing Tokyo to rubble.
2. Jurassic Park (1993)
Steven Spielberg’s Jurassic Park set a new standard for movie monsters by using groundbreaking CGI to bring dinosaurs to terrifying life like never before. Based on Michael Crichton’s cautionary novel about the dangers of genetic engineering, Jurassic Park features iconic scenes of a rampaging T-Rex and clever Velociraptors hunting the human heroes.
While the dinosaurs of Jurassic Park are normal animal size rather than kaiju scale, the movie taps into the same primal fear of giant reptilian predators that fuels the Godzilla franchise. The sequels would also introduce more oversized creatures like the Spinosaurus and Indominus Rex.
Why it’s like Godzilla: Jurassic Park updates Godzilla’s “nuclear age monsters” for the modern biotech era. The rampaging dinosaurs are metaphors for the unintended consequences and disastrous results when humans try to control nature.
3. Cloverfield (2008)
Cloverfield gave the kaiju genre a found footage twist, presenting a giant monster attack on New York City through the lens of a partygoer’s camcorder. Produced by J.J. Abrams, the movie used a viral marketing campaign and elements of mystery (the monster is barely glimpsed in the trailers) to build hype.
The Cloverfield monster, affectionately nicknamed “Clover” by fans, is a skyscraper-sized beast with a frog-like head, spindly limbs, and a prehensile tail. It’s eventually revealed that Clover is a baby, offering a chilling hint at how massive its parents might be. The movie spawned an anthology-style franchise with the loosely connected 10 Cloverfield Lane and The Cloverfield Paradox.
Why it’s like Godzilla: Cloverfield shows the ground-level human perspective of an attack by a Godzilla-scale monster, making the destruction feel visceral and terrifying. The movie’s final shot revealing Clover’s origins also opens the door for potential sequels.
4. Pacific Rim (2013)
Director Guillermo del Toro’s love letter to kaiju and mecha anime, Pacific Rim pits towering robots called Jaegers against mammoth monsters known as Kaiju in a spectacular slugfest to save the world.
Drawing clear inspiration from Godzilla and its many Japanese imitators, Pacific Rim fully embraces the inherent silliness and awesome spectacle of giant monsters battling giant robots. It’s a glossy, modern update of classic kaiju tropes with state-of-the-art visual effects and larger-than-life fight scenes.
Why it’s like Godzilla: Pacific Rim’s kaiju follow the Godzilla template closely – they are prehistoric beasts awakened by nuclear testing rather than interdimensional invaders. The movie also features multiple kaiju with different powers and appearances, similar to Godzilla’s rogue’s gallery of foes like Mothra, Rodan, Ghidorah, and Mechagodzilla.
5. Colossal (2016)
An oddball entry in the kaiju canon, Colossal stars Anne Hathaway as an alcoholic writer who discovers she is somehow controlling a giant monster attacking Seoul. Every time she enters a certain playground at 8:05 am, the monster appears in the exact same location in Seoul and mimics her movements.
Colossal uses its strange premise to explore themes of addiction, toxic relationships, and taking responsibility for one’s actions, with the kaiju as a metaphor for Hathaway’s character’s inner demons. It’s a weird, funny, and surprisingly thoughtful take on the giant monster genre.
Why it’s like Godzilla: The monster in Colossal has Godzilla’s traditional upright-walking, building-crushing, Tokyo-stomping stance and abilities. The movie is a lower-budget character study with the kaiju almost a supporting player, but it still delivers the city-wide destruction Godzilla fans expect.
6. The Host (2006)
Before he swept the Oscars with Parasite, South Korean filmmaker Bong Joon-ho put his own twist on the kaiju formula with The Host. When a mutated monster emerges from Seoul’s Han River and starts attacking people, an ordinary family bands together to rescue their daughter from its clutches.
Combining horror, humor and political satire, The Host is both a thrilling monster movie and a dark comedy about government incompetence and media sensationalism in the face of disaster. The monster itself is a memorable creation, with an amphibious design that allows it to run, jump, swim and even slither up buildings.
Why it’s like Godzilla: The Host taps into the anti-pollution themes of the Godzilla series, with its monster being the result of toxic chemicals dumped into the Han River. The Korean perspective also provides an interesting parallel to the distinctly Japanese origins of Godzilla.
7. Tremors (1990)
Tremors puts a comedic spin on the giant monster genre, with Kevin Bacon and Fred Ward as handymen who must save their small Nevada town from an invasion of giant, worm-like creatures they dub “Graboids”.
More comedic western than horror, Tremors succeeds largely on the strength of its charming cast and quotable dialogue. But it also delivers some genuine thrills, with tense scenes of the characters trying to outwit and evade the clever, tunneling Graboids. The movie spawned an enduring franchise with six sequels and a short-lived TV series.
Why it’s like Godzilla: The massive, building-sized Graboids are like Godzilla if he burrowed underground instead of swimming in the ocean. Their desert rampage calls to mind Godzilla’s destruction of Tokyo, just on a more rural scale.
8. Rampage (2018)
Loosely based on the classic arcade game, Rampage stars Dwayne Johnson as a primatologist who must stop his mutated gorilla friend George and other giant monsters from destroying Chicago.
Basically “The Rock vs. Kaiju”, Rampage is big, loud, and dumb, but in a very entertaining way. Johnson’s easy charisma carries the movie, and the CGI creatures deliver plenty of city-smashing spectacle. The film also features a mutated wolf and crocodile in addition to George, giving it a nice variety of monsters.
Why it’s like Godzilla: Rampage fully delivers on the promise of giant monsters knocking down skyscrapers and causing massive urban destruction. The movie’s tone is more overtly comedic than Godzilla, but it scratches the same kaiju itch.
9. Kong: Skull Island (2017)
A reboot of the King Kong franchise set in the 1970s, Kong: Skull Island reimagines the giant ape’s origins as a god-like protector of a primordial island filled with other oversized creatures. When a team of scientists and soldiers venture to the island, they quickly find themselves in a fight for survival against Kong and the island’s other dangerous denizens.
Directed by Jordan Vogt-Roberts with a stacked cast including Tom Hiddleston, Brie Larson, Samuel L. Jackson, and John Goodman, Kong: Skull Island is a Vietnam War-inspired riff on the beauty-and-the-beast story of King Kong. The movie’s 1970s setting allows for some fun period details and a rocking soundtrack, while also setting up Kong as part of Legendary’s MonsterVerse alongside Godzilla.
Why it’s like Godzilla: Kong himself is an iconic kaiju who needs no introduction, and his battles with the island’s other giant creatures, including the reptilian Skullcrawlers, deliver some impressive monster-on-monster action in the spirit of Godzilla’s famous fights. The post-credits scene also directly sets up a crossover with Godzilla, further cementing the connection.
10. Godzilla (2014)
The second American attempt at a Godzilla movie after the disastrous 1998 version, Gareth Edwards’ Godzilla is a mostly successful reboot that takes the King of the Monsters deadly seriously. When ancient parasitic creatures known as MUTOs (Massive Unidentified Terrestrial Organisms) awaken and threaten humanity, the iconic kaiju rises from the depths to battle them in a fight for supremacy.
Focusing more on the human drama than monster action for much of its runtime, Edwards’ Godzilla drew some criticism from fans for its slow pacing and limited screen time for the title character. But when Godzilla does appear in all his glory, it’s a sight to behold, with impressive set pieces of urban destruction and monster battles. The movie also sets up Godzilla as a reluctant defender of humanity against other kaiju, adding some intriguing layers to his character.
Why it’s like Godzilla: It is Godzilla! As the first entry in Legendary’s MonsterVerse, the 2014 Godzilla kickstarted the current kaiju renaissance in Hollywood and introduced a new generation to the King of the Monsters. Even if it’s not a perfect movie, it’s an essential watch for any Godzilla fan.
11. Godzilla: King of the Monsters (2019)
The sequel to the 2014 film, Godzilla: King of the Monsters fully embraces the franchise’s more fantastical elements, pitting Godzilla against a trio of classic kaiju foes: Mothra, Rodan, and King Ghidorah. When the crypto-zoological agency Monarch awakens these ancient super-species, Godzilla must assert his dominance as the alpha predator to restore balance.
Directed by Michael Dougherty, King of the Monsters is a love letter to the Toho Godzilla films of old, packed with easter eggs, iconic monster designs, and epic kaiju battles realized with cutting-edge visual effects. It’s a bit overstuffed and messy in its plotting, but it delivers the goods for hardcore Godzilla fans eager to see their favorite monsters on the big screen again.
Why it’s like Godzilla: It’s the ultimate modern Godzilla movie, bringing together nearly all of the most famous kaiju from the franchise’s long history for a royal rumble with the fate of the world at stake. For fans of classic Godzilla, it’s a dream come true.
12. Godzilla vs. Kong (2021)
The culmination of Legendary’s MonsterVerse, Godzilla vs. Kong finally delivers the showdown fans have been waiting for since the two titans first clashed in 1962’s King Kong vs. Godzilla. When Godzilla starts attacking cities for unknown reasons, humanity turns to Kong as its last hope for survival, transporting him from Skull Island to face off against his reptilian rival.
Directed by Adam Wingard, Godzilla vs. Kong is a massive spectacle that fully delivers on its promise of an epic battle between the two most famous monsters in movie history. With jaw-dropping visual effects and nonstop action, it’s a pure popcorn blockbuster that embraces the absurdity of its premise with glee. Some may find it lacking in substance, but for sheer kaiju-smashing entertainment value, it’s hard to beat.
Why it’s like Godzilla: It’s the ultimate kaiju crossover event, pitting the two reigning kings of the monsters against each other in a fight for supremacy. The film also features other classic Godzilla elements like ancient underground civilizations and high-tech human weapons, making it a love letter to the entire franchise.
13. The Beast from 20,000 Fathoms (1953)
One of the earliest and most influential giant monster movies, The Beast from 20,000 Fathoms features a dinosaur awakened from hibernation by nuclear bomb testing that goes on a rampage from the Arctic to New York City. The film’s stop-motion effects by Ray Harryhausen set a new standard for movie monster mayhem and paved the way for Godzilla’s debut the following year.
Why it’s like Godzilla: The Beast from 20,000 Fathoms established the template for the atomic age monster movie, with its nuclear-powered creature serving as a clear precursor to Godzilla. The scenes of urban destruction also heavily influenced Godzilla’s Tokyo rampage.
14. Them! (1954)
Another early atomic monster movie, Them! imagines the horrors of nuclear testing via giant mutant ants running amok in the New Mexico desert. The film’s groundbreaking combination of sci-fi and horror proved very influential on the genre, and its eerie scenes of the empty desert towns left in the ants’ wake still pack a punch today.
Why it’s like Godzilla: Them! taps into the same nuclear anxieties as Godzilla, with its oversized insects serving as a metaphor for the dangers of the atomic age. The movie’s desert setting and military response also mirror key elements of the original Godzilla.
15. The Deadly Mantis (1957)
A lesser-known entry in the “big bug” subgenre of 1950s sci-fi monster movies, The Deadly Mantis features a giant prehistoric praying mantis thawed from icy suspended animation by global warming. The mantis flies across the United States, attacking cities and military bases, before being lured to its doom in a New York City tunnel.
Why it’s like Godzilla: The Deadly Mantis follows the classic Godzilla formula of a giant creature rampaging through cities and leaving destruction in its wake. The military’s attempts to stop the mantis also echo the human response to Godzilla.
16. Mothra (1961)
One of Godzilla’s most iconic kaiju co-stars, Mothra is a giant moth deity worshipped by a remote island civilization. When the island’s tiny twin priestesses are kidnapped by unscrupulous businessmen, Mothra hatches from her cocoon and swims to Japan to rescue them, leaving a trail of destruction behind her.
Why it’s like Godzilla: Mothra is a classic kaiju with a unique design and special abilities, including powerful wings and silk spray. Her debut film also features the same themes of human greed and folly awakening ancient monsters as the original Godzilla.
17. Gamera (1965)
Gamera is a giant flying turtle kaiju created by the Japanese studio Daiei to compete with Toho’s Godzilla franchise. Awakened by a nuclear blast, Gamera initially seems to be a destructive menace, but he eventually becomes a friend to children and a defender of humanity against other monsters.
Why it’s like Godzilla: Gamera is essentially a kid-friendly version of Godzilla, with a similar origin story and city-smashing abilities. The Gamera films also feature wild monster battles and increasingly outlandish sci-fi plots, making them a fun companion franchise to Godzilla.
18. The War of the Gargantuas (1966)
A loose sequel to Frankenstein Conquers the World, this wild Toho kaiju film features two hairy, humanoid monsters – the gentle green Sanda and his violent brown brother Gaira – who were spawned from the discarded cells of Frankenstein’s monster. After Gaira attacks Tokyo, Sanda emerges from the mountains to stop his rampage, leading to a brutal battle between the siblings.
Why it’s like Godzilla: The War of the Gargantuas features Toho’s signature mix of urban destruction, military assaults, and epic monster fights, with the two Gargantuas filling in for Godzilla and his foes. The movie’s themes of nature vs. nurture and sibling rivalry also add a bit more depth to the usual kaiju formula.
19. Gorgo (1961)
A British-American kaiju film clearly inspired by Godzilla, Gorgo features an amphibious dinosaur captured off the coast of Ireland and brought to London as a circus attraction. When Gorgo’s much larger mother comes ashore and rampages through the city looking for her offspring, the military races to stop her before London is destroyed.
Why it’s like Godzilla: Gorgo and his mother are classic Godzilla-style monsters, rising from the sea to wreak havoc on a major city. The scenes of London’s destruction also mirror the urban carnage of the Godzilla films, just with a British twist.
20. The X from Outer Space (1967)
A bizarre entry in the kaiju canon, this Japanese film features a giant space monster called Guilala who arrives on Earth via a mysterious UFO. Guilala rampages through Tokyo, feeding on nuclear energy and growing ever larger, until he is finally destroyed by a newly-developed anti-monster missile.
Why it’s like Godzilla: Guilala is a classic city-stomping kaiju in the Godzilla mold, with the added twist of an extraterrestrial origin. The movie’s nuclear themes and military battles against the monster also closely parallel the Godzilla formula.
Conclusion
From the 1933 King Kong to modern blockbusters like Pacific Rim and Godzilla vs. Kong, giant monster movies have been a cinema staple for nearly a century. There’s something primal and compelling about seeing oversized creatures wreak havoc on a massive scale, tapping into both our fears and our fascination with the extraordinary.
Godzilla still reigns supreme as the King of the Monsters, but these 20 films offer plenty of city-smashing, skyscraper-toppling thrills for kaiju fans looking to expand their horizons. Whether you prefer your giant monsters to be prehistoric dinosaurs, atomic mutants, or extraterrestrial invaders, there’s something for everyone in this list.
So grab some popcorn, find a comfortable seat, and get ready to cheer on your favorite giant monsters as they battle for supremacy and lay waste to civilization. These movies may be big, loud, and silly, but that’s all part of the fun. After all, who doesn’t love seeing a good old-fashioned giant monster rampage on the big screen?
