Gamera 3: Revenge of Iris

Ayana, a girl who lost her family during the battles between Gamera and Gyaos, finds a creature's egg under the rubble and begins to raise it. Her purpose is plain: this creature will take revenge on Gamera. As it grows it attaches itself to her and feeds on her. The film is not interested in a monster fight. It is interested in the wreckage the saviour leaves: it shows Gamera not only as a hero but as a force that crushes cities and kills people while fighting. That perspective is rare in kaiju cinema. The form is dark and heavy: sombre colours, religious imagery, and a far bleaker ending than the two films before it. The destruction sequence in Shibuya is among the most cited passages in the series. It is the last film of Shusuke Kaneko's trilogy. His Gamera films became a benchmark for later productions because they took the kaiju film out of children's cinema and into adult seriousness. Ai Maeda plays Ayana, with Shinobu Nakayama and Ayako Fujitani completing the cast. Who it is for: viewers who like kaiju cinema and practical-effects destruction, and anyone following the trilogy. Who it is not for: anyone wanting closure. The film ends without completing its story and the continuation was never made.