Streaming on Netflix. 

In a surprise move, Netflix dropped the acclaimed, Oscar-winning “Godzilla Minus One” onto its platform with no warning on June 1. That’s great news for those of us who missed the monster movie when it roared into theaters last year. Godzilla has been stomping around for 70 years, and yet “Godzilla Minus One” proves you can still do something fresh and remarkable with the character. Over the years, Godzilla has morphed into an almost heroic figure, fighting off other monsters. The ongoing MonsterVerse has turned big G into King Kong’s fighting buddy, saving the day when humanity needs them. But “Godzilla Minus One” returns the character to his post-World War II roots, using Godzilla as a metaphorical monster that represents the horrors of PTSD and nuclear anhiliation. And it works incredibly well. The story, which feels heavily influenced by Steven Spielberg’s “Jaws” at times, follows kamikaze pilot Kōichi Shikishima (Ryunosuke Kamiki), who is too afraid to carry out his suicidal mission. He lands on an island, and ends up running afoul of a local monster the locals call Godzilla. Godzilla slaughters (almost) all the other soldiers on the island, leaving Shikishima traumatized and ashamed over his inability to act. A few years later, Shikishima has become a minesweeper, cleaning up unexploded mines left over from the war. And wouldn’t ya know it? Godzilla is back — and he’s bigger than ever. “Godzilla” movies can go to some silly places, and that’s fine, but “Godzilla Minus One” plays things completely straight, resulting in a stirring, emotional, and frequently scary movie. Long live the king.

Stream this if you like “Godzilla” movies in general and “Jaws.”