Shin Godzilla (2016)

A film does not have to be grim and gritty to be grounded and realistic. This reboot is miles away from the insanity of something like Invasion of Astro-Monster, while also not falling under the 'blink and you missed it' approach of Gareth Edwards' Godzilla. Like the original 1954 Gojira, this is a film about Japan right now with images that recall Fukushima and the earthquake that preceded it. This is a film about how we handle a disaster. It's about a group of people trying to do the right thing in a completely uncharted situation. There is no bad guy. Everyone is just doing their best. Yes they make some big miscalculations, but this is a situation that nobody could have prepared for. Not even the giant lizard destroying Tokyo is really bad. He's just doing his giant lizard thing. In a world that's so full of darkness, it's nice to see something...hopeful?

The Host (2006)

After years and years of wanton pollution, a giant creature emerges from South Korea's Han River. During its' rampage the monster takes a few "snacks" to eat later. The family of one such "snack" sets out on a quest to bring their little girl back.

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Outside of the original 1933 King Kong and 1954 Gojira, most giant monster films have been jokes. This is not to say that the films are worthless, just that they lack any substance at all. They're fun and campy and that's fine. But thankfully in 2006 we were given a film that reminded us that the "Giant Monster" genre could be more than just bad dubbing and cardboard sets. The Host is a crazy fun ride. It's scary, it's funny, it's action-packed and it's touching. Forget Cloverfield, this is the real shit...and you can stream it!