Godzilla Minus One was controversially snubbed in The New York Times’ recent poll of the 100 Best Movies of the 21st Century. Released in 2023, Godzilla Minus One is the 37th film in the Godzilla franchise, and Toho’s 33rd Godzilla film. Set in postwar Japan, the movie follows a former kamikaze pilot suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder after encountering Godzilla.

As a result, you might think that a modern Godzilla movie would be ranked among the best sci-fi movies in The New York Times’ poll. However, this is far from true. Instead, the 2023 epic kaiju movie was snubbed, despite its various accolades, significant success at the worldwide box office, and Godzilla Minus One’s praise from people like Tom Cruise.

Godzilla Minus One Was Omitted From NYT’s 21st Century Movies Poll

Parasite Was Voted The NYT’s Number 1 Movie

In June, The New York Times embarked on a new project to create a list of the Top 100 Movies of the 21st Century. The official selection process was done by “polling more than 500 filmmakers, stars and influential film fans to vote for the 10 best movies (however they chose to define that) released since Jan. 1, 2000.”

Sitting at 100 is Superbad – Seth Rogan’s teen comedy about two boys trying to get laid before they graduate high school. On the other end, Bong Joon Ho’s Parasite claimed the number 1 spot, an unsurprising result due to the movie’s popularity upon release, and its subsequent Oscar wins. They were both voted for by Julianne Moore.

There were plenty of fan-favorite movies, and it was enlightening to see which films made the list, especially as it was decided on by Hollywood professionals and fans. However, there was one glaring omission among the many fantastic films selected, as 2023’s Godzilla Minus One did not make the cut on The New York Times Top 100 Movies list.

Godzilla Minus One’s Snub Is Part Of A Larger Trend

Recent Movies (Including Oscar Winners) Were Scarce

While there were plenty of movies that should have made The New York Times list, and Godzilla Minus One’s apparent snub could be disregarded as fan opinion only, its omission is actually a part of a larger trend. Despite compiling Hollywood’s favorite films since 2000, there were actually no movies on the list that were released in 2024 or 2025.

Some recent movies were nominated during voting, including 2024’s five-time Oscar winner Anora and 2025’s Sinners, but ultimately, they didn’t make the cut. However, Anora wasn’t the only award-winning movie to be excluded, as 15 best pictures were omitted. With so many Oscar winners left out of the NYT’s best movies list, it does spark questions about the Oscars’ relevance.

That said, there were four movies from 2023 which were included in the NYT’s Top 100 list, including Christopher Nolan’s Oppenheimer – which was actually beaten by The Zone of Interest in the rankings (65 compared to 12). Therefore, it appears that there’s no related reason why Godzilla Minus One was left out, as it was also released in 2023.

Godzilla Minus One Is Absolutely One Of The 21st Century’s Best Movies

Godzilla Minus One Was Successful In Many Ways

The fact of the matter is that Godzilla Minus One is one of the 21st century’s best movies, and it deserves to be on The New York Times’ list. There had been 36 Godzilla movies before 2023’s addition, and they have cemented the franchise’s status as one of the longest-running and most influential, but Godzilla Minus One brought something different.

With a reported $15 million budget, 2023’s movie grossed $113.7 million at the box office (7.58 times its budget), making Godzilla Minus One the highest-grossing Toho film. In comparison, the highest-grossing American movie, Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire, only earned 4.24 times its budget. Therefore, Godzilla Minus One was actually a much more profitable film overall.

Moreover, Godzilla Minus One received numerous accolades, including an Oscar, with many Western critics declaring it the best Godzilla movie. The 2023 film beats both Shin Godzilla and Godzilla x Kong on Rotten Tomatoes, earning an astonishing 99% Tomatometer. Furthermore, even Hollywood stars like Tom Cruise and Steven Spielberg praised Godzilla Minus One, with Spielberg reportedly watching it three times.

Why Godzilla Minus One & Other Recent Movies Were Snubbed

Voters Chose Classic Movies Due To Their Legacies

Despite Godzilla Minus One’s mᴀssive success, both commercially and critically, one of the best monster movies was snubbed by the NYT’s Top 100 movie list, joining a slew of other recent films. In fact, only a few movies that actually made the list were from the last couple of years, as the majority of entries feature movies made before 2018.

Yet, there is a reason why these recent films were snubbed, even if they were Oscar winners. The New York Times’ list focused on the Top 100 movies of the 21st Century, so the scope is rather broad. As a result, voters seemed to gravitate to films that resonated over the years, using their long-lasting critical success as justification.

Unfortunately, movies like Godzilla Minus One, Anora, and Sinners simply haven’t been around long enough to generate a legacy or influence. This was why 2001’s Mulholland Drive was suspected to top the NYT’s list over Parasite. However, if another list is compiled within the next few years, we may actually see Godzilla Minus One get the recognition it deserves.

Source: The New York Times