This is the rare monster movie that's actually, legitimately great cinema—and the critical consensus backs that up. It's a period piece about postwar Japan where broken people face an existential threat with no help coming, and it's as much about trauma and community as it is about a giant lizard.

The WISE score reflects that tension: it's imaginative, enriching, and models real courage and cooperation, but it's also heavy, intense, and genuinely frightening in places. The Safety score sits at 55 not because it's inappropriate, but because this isn't something you throw on for family movie night without knowing what you're getting into.

If your kid can handle serious themes, war-adjacent content, and genuine scares, this is actually a fantastic film for mature tweens and teens. It's the kind of movie that sticks with you and invites real conversations. Just don't expect Godzilla vs. Kong vibes—this is Godzilla as existential horror, and it earns every bit of that 99% Rotten Tomatoes score.