Mothra (1961): cast, story & where to watch
1961 · Film · ★ 7.2
Released in 1961, Mothra is an action, comedy, thriller and fantasy film directed by Ishirō Honda, running about 101 minutes. “A gruesome marvel!” — that tagline sets the tone.
What it’s about. Shipwreck survivors found on the presumably uninhabited Infant Island leads to a scientific expedition that discovers a surviving native population along with the Shobijin, tiny twin fairy priestesses of the island's mythical deity called Mothra. After the fairies are kidnapped by an exploitative businessman named Clark Nelson, Mothra sets out to rescue them.
Who’s in it. Mothra stars Frankie Sakai as Senichiro 'Sen-chan' Fukuda, Hiroshi Koizumi as Dr. Shin'ichi Chûjô, Kyōko Kagawa as Michi Hanamura and Jerry Itô as Clark Nelson, among others.
How it landed. With an audience score of 7.2/10, Mothra has been warmly received by audiences. It went on to earn $2.2M at the box office.
Where to watch. In US you can stream it on FlixFling and rent or buy it from Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies and YouTube. See the full, country-by-country breakdown on our where to watch Mothra page.
If you liked it. Fans of Mothra tend to enjoy The Dark Knight, The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King, Inception and The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring.
Frequently asked
- Where can I watch Mothra (1961)?
- In US, Mothra is available to stream on FlixFling, and rent or buy from Amazon Video, Apple TV Store and Google Play Movies. Availability varies by country — check our where-to-watch page for every region.
- Is Mothra worth watching?
- Mothra holds an audience score of 7.2 out of 10, and is a strong pick if you enjoy action, comedy, thriller and fantasy. Most viewers rate it highly.
- Who stars in Mothra?
- Mothra stars Frankie Sakai, Hiroshi Koizumi, Kyōko Kagawa, Jerry Itô and Ken Uehara.
- When was Mothra released?
- Mothra was released in 1961, with a runtime of about 101 minutes.