Photo courtesy of Barbican. TM & © TOHO CO., LTD.
Official Site: https://www.barbican.org.uk/whats-on/2025/series/all-kaiju-attack-earth-sos
Special Thanks to Steven Sloss
The Barbican Centre in London is hosting a series of classic kaiju movie screenings that will run from mid September until early December. Each of the five films will be introduced by a genre expert. Tickets are now on sale (click on the movie titles for direct links to purchase tickets).
Read on for details...
ALL KAIJU ATTACK: EARTH SOS!
Sat 20 Sep — Wed 10 Dec 2025
Barbican Centre
Silk St, Barbican, London EC2Y 8DS, United Kingdom
Tickets and more information are available at: https://www.barbican.org.uk/whats-on/2025/series/all-kaiju-attack-earth-sos
All hail Godzilla, King of the Monsters – and eco-warrior? Through a selection of diverse Japanese monster movies, London’s Barbican Centre explores how kaiju carnage connects to our relationship with the natural world.
From the very first GODZILLA in 1954, with the most famous kaiju serving as a symbol of trauma and the unpredictable and uncontrollable force of nature, Japanese monster movies have engaged with environmental themes in different, complex ways. Behind the thrilling, fantastic scenes of monster battles lies an intelligent critique of humanity’s meddling with the balance of nature and the terrifying consequences that result.
Through a selection of kaiju films across four decades, including the UK theatrical debut of a rarely screened Gamera film, the Barbican delves into the environmental themes of the kaiju genre, which pays tribute to nature’s power and considers the balance between progress and preservation.
Photo courtesy of Barbican. TM & © TOHO CO., LTD.
GODZILLA VS. BIOLLANTE + introduction by kaiju expert Steven Sloss
Sat 20 Sep 2025, 18:00
Genetic experiments spiral out of control in one of the very best kaiju films, as a mutant plant threatens humanity and emerges as a mighty foe for Godzilla.
GODZILLA VS. BIOLLANTE is a high point for the Godzilla film series, with a fantastical vision of a kaiju antagonist engineered from the cells of a rose, the dead daughter of a scientist and Godzilla’s own DNA. Continuing the upsurge in quality heralded by THE RETURN OF GODZILLA (1984), the final Godzilla film of the 1980s boasts great special effects and some of the best suitmation and miniatures in the series.
The movie explores bioethics with sensitivity through all the chaos, as human hubris and genetic engineering unleash untold havoc. Biollante is a magnificent, unnerving creation, unlike anything else the franchise had seen, and the human dimension adds a welcome nuance amid the carnage. This is kaiju mayhem at its most poetic and imaginative.
Steven Sloss is a lifelong fan and scholar of kaiju cinema who has written and presented on the subject for the BFI, BBC, Arrow Films, Glasgow Film Festival, and more. He is the former co-host of the AV Club-featured Kaijusaurus Podcast and is currently writing a book on the original GODZILLA (1954) for Bloomsbury Publishing and the BFI.
Photo courtesy of Barbican. TM & © TOHO CO., LTD.
GODZILLA VS. MEGALON + introduction by kaiju expert Steven Sloss
Sun 21 Sep 2025, 14:00
This cult favourite has everything – Godzilla. A buzzsaw-chested space monster. A beetle-like behemoth. A friendly robot. And a world in peril once again…
Nuclear testing provokes Seatopia, an underground civilisation, into fighting back against humankind with two horrifying kaiju – insectoid megabeast Megalon and chickenlike cyborg Gigan. Godzilla is the world’s only hope, although a robot with a secret power may also offer salvation.
There is a lot of fun to be had in this joyful kaiju rumble film, which introduced many young audiences to Godzilla in the west. With themes of nature striking back against humanity’s destructive impulses and Godzilla once again flexing his eco-saviour muscles, it culminates in an epic monster battle that has to be seen to be believed.
Photo courtesy of Barbican. TM & © TOHO CO., LTD.
SON OF GODZILLA + introduction by Toshiko Kurata
Sat 25 Oct 2025, 16:15
Godzilla becomes a father at a time of great danger, as a group of scientists accidentally create mutated insect monsters and a giant spider is on the hunt…
Once again, humanity’s meddling with nature leads to disaster, as scientists seeking to control the weather unleash a dangerous horde of giant insects. SON OF GODZILLA introduces a number of new kaiju to the franchise: mutated mantis creatures (Kamacuras), a predatory monster spider (Kumonga) and, less horrifyingly, Minilla, Godzilla’s child.
Despite a lighter tone than earlier Japanese creature features, SON OF GODZILLA shows the dangers of upsetting the natural balance. The touching scenes of Godzilla teaching his son how to breathe fire are countered by the permanent threat of the savage monsters. The dash of humour in the film struck a lighter tone for the later films in the Godzilla franchise.
Toshiko Kurata is a member of British Origami Society and founder of Happy Origami Wonderland. She teaches origami to adults and children through her own workshops as well as teaching in schools and private events, also working with Samuel Tsang's Mindful Origami company. Her recent origami artwork 'Hana no Oto - Sound of Flowers' was displayed at the exhibition called Spirit of Invention at The National Archives in London and Discovery Museum in Newcastle.
Photo courtesy of Barbican. TM & © TOHO CO., LTD.
EBIRAH, HORROR OF THE DEEP + introduction by curator Alex Davidson
Tue 18 Nov 2025, 18:30
A group of young men become shipwrecked and face the dangers of a terrifying sea creature and a terrorist group. Can Godzilla – and Mothra – save the day?
In one of the liveliest and most fun Godzilla movies, the king of kaiju battles Ebirah, a terrifying mega-crustacean that kills everything it encounters. Meanwhile, a group of shipwreck survivors encounter a menacing terrorist group called the Red Bamboo, intent on manufacturing nuclear weapons and enslaving the islanders.
With three kaiju embodying nature as a powerful, untameable force and a climactic battle with the future of the ecosystem at stake, EBIRAH, HORROR OF THE DEEP subtly explores themes of man’s connection with nature. The fights between Ebirah and Godzilla are among the franchise’s most memorable – all this, and a delightful cameo from Mothra, too.
Photo courtesy of Barbican. © KADOKAWA
GAMERA THE BRAVE (UK THEATRICAL DEBUT) + introduction by Yuriko Hamaguchi
Wed 10 Dec 2025, 18:20
The gigantic turtle is reincarnated once again in this family-friendly reboot, as the young kaiju forms a bond with a boy and grows up to battle a fearsome threat to humanity.
Years after Gamera sacrificed himself for humanity, the benevolent kaiju lives again through a newly hatched turtle. As an adult, his calling as earth’s protector manifests once more as a new, aggressive kaiju, Zedus, begins a destructive rampage.
GAMERA THE BRAVE introduced the franchise to a new generation, following the acclaimed Heisei Trilogy. Emphasising respect for the natural world and subtly bringing in environmental themes, it’s an engrossing and often delightful addition to the series. To date, it remains the last Gamera film. This is a very rare chance to see it on the big screen.
Yuriko Hamaguchi is an MA student in film curation at the National Film and Television School. Her areas of interest include Japanese and ESEA cinema as well as transnational film histories, with recent curatorial work including ‘Other Ways of Seeing’ at Cinema Rediscovered 2025 (co-curator) and Park Circus’ ‘Transnational Japan in Hollywood’ season.
About the Barbican
The Barbican is a catalyst for creativity, sparking possibilities for artists, audiences, and communities. We showcase the most exciting art from around the world, pushing traditional artistic boundaries to entertain and inspire millions of people, create connections, provoke debate, and reflect the world we live in.
We are an international arts and events centre rooted firmly in our own neighbourhood, collaborating with local communities and putting the City of London on the map as a destination for everybody. Central to our purpose is supporting emerging talent and shaping opportunities that will accelerate the next generation of creatives. As a not-for-profit, we rely on the generosity of individuals and organisations, including our principal funder the City of London Corporation. Every ticket purchased, donation made, and pound earned supports our arts and learning programme and enables the widest possible range of people to experience the joy of the arts.
Opened in 1982, the Barbican is a unique and audacious building, recognised globally as an architectural icon. As well as our theatres, galleries, concert halls and cinemas, we have a large conservatory with over 1,500 species of plants and trees, a library, conference facilities, public and community spaces, restaurants, bars, and a picturesque lakeside oasis.
We’re proud to be the home of the London Symphony Orchestra, and a London base of the Royal Shakespeare Company. We regularly co-commission, produce and showcase the work of our other associates and partners including the Academy of Ancient Music, BBC Symphony Orchestra, Boy Blue, Darbar, Doc'n Roll Film Festival, Drum Works, EFG London Jazz Festival, London Palestine Film Festival, Serious, and Trafalgar Theatre Productions.
About Barbican Cinema
We connect audiences with a curated programme of international cinema; from celebrated filmmakers to ground-breaking and under-heard voices from past and present. Our programmes are presented in Cinemas 1 in the main centre and Cinemas 2&3 on Beech Street. Our programme ranges from thematic seasons that respond to today’s world, to new releases, ScreenTalks, cross-artform collaborations, family events, access screenings and event cinema that presents the performing artson screen.
We showcase the work of emerging filmmakers, as well as less familiar work of exceptional filmmakers from the UK and around the world. We champion the work of Barbican Young Programmers and give stage to emerging musicians in our ongoing film & live music series which includes our flagship collaboration with the Guildhall School of Music & Drama.
As part of a cross-arts centre, our cinemas are a cultural space for people to share the viewing experience. We strive to be inclusive in everything we do; providing platforms for the widest possible range of filmmakers and ensuring we are an open, welcoming and accessible venue for all our audiences.