Thanks to the recent streaming release of Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery, Daniel Craig is back in the zeitgeist which has only led to a renewed interest in his tenure as James Bond. In fact, now is the perfect time for any 007 virgins out there to finally become acquainted with the exploits of England’s finest spy and dive into the franchise for the first time.
However, with 25 films released over the past 60 years, that’s naturally an intimidating undertaking. So, although you can simply watch all of them in chronological order, if you want to take a more selective approach, that’s valid, too. For those looking to take a fast-paced ride through the world of Bond, here are the 10 most essential movies starring the super secret agent you won’t want to skip.
Dr. No (1962)
It all started here. Dr. No might not be the absolute best entry in the series, but it deserves your time thanks to the way it neatly establishes many of the tropes we have come to associate with the super-spy’s adventures. It might’ve taken a few tries to finely hone the Bond formula, but it’s Sean Connery’s very first outing in the role that ensured the immortal franchise got going in the first place.
From Russia With Love (1963)
On the other hand, From Russia With Love is something of an outlier in the franchise, as it almost owes more to Hitchcockian thrillers — what with Bond stuck on a train for much of the film — than the action-blockbusters it would spawn. Due to its unique style, then, Connery’s second outing stands out from the pack and remains an acclaimed entry thanks to its status as a slickly made slice of ’60s cinema.
Goldfinger (1964)
It might’ve been the third movie to be produced, but Goldfinger is widely agreed to be the first Bond venture that perfects the format. All the ingredients are here: the plot is grander, the action bigger, the female lead is tougher, and Shirley Bassey belts out the first of the quintessential Bond themes (and still one of the most iconic). And, yes, this is the one where a laser threatens to take out James’ family jewels.
On Her Majesty’s Secret Service (1969)
When Connery declined to return after You Only Live Twice, producers decided to go in an entirely different direction for George Lazenby’s sole outing as the legendary spy. OHMSS has all the prerequisite action and intrigue — in fact, it has a couple of the best-directed set pieces in the franchises — but it’s also the series’ first proper love story, as Bond actually gets married for the one and only time.
The Spy Who Loved Me (1977)
Just as the fan-favorite Connery movie was his third to be made, Roger Moore’s third outing is likewise widely agreed to be his best. Much like Goldfinger, Spy Who Loved Me established a new template for the franchise that reinvigorated its creative energies — the apocalyptic-level villain plot is wilder than ever before, the steel-toothed Jaws is the best villain since the ’60s, and it’s just a ton of fun all-round.
License to Kill (1989)
In truth, License to Kill isn’t an absolute top-tier Bond film, but it is an essential watch for anyone looking to familiarize themselves with the franchise. That’s because it’s the better of the two movies Timothy Dalton starred in. Infused with a hardened edge typical of late ’80s actioners, License to Kill is a surprisingly merciless revenge thriller that acts as an effective antidote for those averse to the comedic Moore years.
GoldenEye (1995)
It was questioned back in the day whether James Bond could survive the end of the Cold War, but GoldenEye triumphantly proved the doubters wrong with the arrival of Pierce Brosnan as the perfect 007 for the ’90s. With Sean Bean as a treacherous anti-Bond villain and Famke Janssen’s outrageous Xenia Onatopp, GoldenEye is such a blast that none of Brosnan’s subsequent entries could match its panache.
Casino Royale (2006)
Casino Royale offered an even more groundbreaking reboot of the franchise than GoldenEye by stripping the secret agent back to basics. In the wake of both Bourne and Batman Begins, Daniel Craig’s era restarted continuity and finally explored Bond’s origin story, restoring some of the nuances from Ian Fleming’s literary creation at long last. Craig has arguably never bettered his original turn in the role.
Skyfall (2012)
Continuing the tradition that began with Goldfinger, Craig’s third film Skyfall was likewise his most popular movie, and it’s not hard to see why. The grand 50th anniversary celebration brought back many of the classic elements, including Ben Whishaw as a new Q, for the first time in a decade. Javier Bardem’s Silva is a terrific foe and there’s tragedy and emotion aplenty too. Plus, Adele’s theme is a banger.
No Time To Die (2021)
OK, so you might need to catch 2015’s Spectre in order to fully understand No Time To Die, and we apologize for encouraging newbies to check out that bloated mess, but it’s worth it to experience the 25th-ever Bond film that — while hugely controversial among the fanbase — deserves a lot of credit for boldly going where no other entry in the saga had gone before. None of the previous 24 ever had the explosive impact this one has had.
James Bond will return, although whose face he will be wearing when he does is anyone’s guess.