Sean Connery, George Lazenby, Roger Moore, Timothy Dalton, Pierce Brosnan, and Daniel Craig are the main actors who have played James Bond in 25 or 26 movies (depending on how you count) over 64 years. While the search for the next James Bond actor continues, fans of the series will be thrilled to hear that all 26 movies, including the controversial “Never Say Never Again” (1983), will be streaming on Netflix starting January 21. Craig ended his run in 2021, when “No Time to Die” premiered. Almost five years have passed since then, but it’s still unclear when we’ll see a new actor take on the role.
The best part about James Bond is that there’s no right order to watch the movies — unless we’re talking about the Daniel Craig films, which have a distinct continuity. You should think of James Bond more as a role, just like the 007 designator. Spies come and go, and some of the best ones are given “double-o” status. Why not inherit a name as well? With that in mind, you can watch the James Bond movies on Netflix in any order you see fit.
If you’re looking to start with some of the best James Bond movies, you’ll want to check the following list. You’ll be surprised to see that only two Daniel Craig movies make the list, even though the more modern 007 adventures are more captivating. They benefit from much larger budgets, spectacular action scenes, and the newest filmmaking technology. But not all of Craig’s movies were as well received by critics.
GoldenEye
Released in 1995, “GoldenEye” was Pierce Brosnan’s first outing as 007, following Timothy Dalton in “License to Kill” (1989). As such, “GoldenEye” stands out for another important reason: it’s the James Bond film that transitions the hero to the post-Cold War era. The film actually starts in 1986 in Russia, with an iconic sequence that sees James Bond performing a daring bungee jump off a dam in Arkhangelsk (Soviet Union) to escape the Soviet forces that are after him, which may be a perfect metaphor for leaving the Cold War era of James Bond stories. The action then picks up nine years later, in a world where the West vs. East conflict isn’t what it used to be.
“GoldenEye” was a theatrical success, making over $356 million worldwide against a $60 million budget. It was also well received by critics, with the Rotten Tomatoes score at 80%. Put differently, “GoldenEye” was a breath of fresh air for the franchise. Another reason why “GoldenEye” is highly regarded is the video game based on the movie that was released in 1997 – a first-person shooter that also featured a legendary multiplayer mode. A modern version of the video game was rereleased in 2023 on Xbox and Nintendo Switch. If you’ve played the game but never seen the movie, Netflix is here to right that wrong.
Pierce Brosnan went on to appear in three more James Bond movies after “GoldenEye,” ending his tenure in 2002. Also starring in Brosnan’s first 007 movie are Sean Bean, Izabella Scorupco, Famke Janssen, Robbie Coltrane, Alan Cumming, and Judi Dench. Dench plays Bond’s boss, the iconic M, and would later reprise her role in other James Bond films.
Skyfall
“Skyfall” (2012) is the third of Daniel Craig’s five James Bond movies and the second-best-reviewed on Rotten Tomatoes (92% critics aggregate), which is enough to give it a spot in this list. The film is also the first Bond to top $1 billion at the box office – over $1.1 billion on a $200 million budget. The film also featured an unforgettable theme song, one that you’ve probably heard even if you aren’t a fan of James Bond. That’s Adele’s “Skyfall,” which was the first Bond theme to win Best Original Song at the Oscars.
“Skyfall” stands out for its plot twist, which leads to an incredible final battle. M (Judi Dench) is under attack in “Skyfall,” as is the entire MI6, with Javier Bardem playing the film’s villain, cyber-terrorist Raoul Silva. Bond tries to save M, taking her to his childhood home, where the two fight one last battle together. We all expected to see Craig’s Bond perform daring stunts, execute antagonists, and shoot his way out of any situation.
Having M partner up with Bond for that kind of action is the cherry on top. Then again, you don’t become “M” without having at least some experience dealing with threats and wielding a weapon or two yourself. In addition to Craig, Dench, and Bardem, “Skyfall” also stars Naomie Harris as Eve Moneypenny, Ralph Fiennes as Mallory, and Ben Whishaw as Q — MI6 characters that reappear in other Daniel Craig Bond movies.
Casino Royale
“Casino Royale” premiered in 2006, four years after Brosnan said goodbye to the character. Daniel Craig’s first 007 film is easily one of the more memorable James Bond movies, though not quite the highest rated with a 94% Rotten Tomatoes critics score. Like “GoldenEye,” “Casino Royale” was a tremendous success, featuring a brand-new actor that immediately made his mark. It grossed over $594 million, more than five times its $102 million budget.
“Casino Royale” rewinds to the early days of Daniel Craig’s James Bond. He earns his double-O stripes early in the movie under an MI6 organization led by the same M (Judi Dench). Like “GoldenEye,” “Casino Royale” is a reinvention of the character. There’s no question that Craig’s movies stand out for their cinematic appeal, including extended action sequences and character continuity. They rival other popular modern spy franchises, including the “Bourne” and “Mission Impossible” movies.
Mads Mikkelsen’s Le Chiffre is “Casino Royale’s” villain, a figure who leaves a lasting impression. The high-stakes poker game at Casino Royale is one of the film’s iconic scenes, featuring a face-off between the villain and the British spy. “Casino Royale” also introduces a notable “Bond girl” – another well-known element of the Bond movies. Without spoiling the movie for those who will see “Casino Royale” on Netflix for the first time, Eva Green’s Vesper Lynd is a breakout character in “Casino Royale,” and a key relationship in this Bond’s life.
From Russia with Love
Craig starred as James Bond for as long as he did in part because of the equally talented actors that preceded him as 007. Sean Connery’s James Bond movies, dating back to the early ’60s, are the best in the franchise when looking at Rotten Tomatoes averages. “From Russia with Love” (1963) is the second James Bond movie ever made (97% critics score), and the actor’s second Bond film. The movie made $79 million at the box office, which is nearly 40 times its $2 million production budget.
Unlike the recent Bond entries, “From Russia with Love” is a spy film set in the Cold War era, at the height of major tensions between the U.S. and the Soviet Union. As a reminder, the Cuban Missile Crisis happened in 1962, which is the closest humanity came to a nuclear war between the world’s then-superpowers. “From Russia with Love” isn’t about that particular phase of the Cold War, as it’s a sequel of sorts to “Dr. No,” the first film in the James Bond series. Spectre, an international crime organization, tries to kill 007 and get revenge after Bond killed Dr. No (Joseph Wiseman) in the previous film.
The action sees Sean Connery’s Bond travel around Europe, from London to Istanbul and Venice. Tatiana Romanova (Daniela Bianchi) plays the Bond girl in “From Russia with Love.” Spectre uses her to draw Bond out, pretending that Romanova is looking to defect to the U.K.
Goldfinger
Less than a year after “From Russia with Love” premiered, “Goldfinger” brought Connery’s Bond back to the silver screen. Like its predecessor, “Goldfinger” was a huge success at the box office. It was slightly more expensive to produce ($3 million), but made nearly $125 million during its theatrical run. Critics also loved the movie, with “Goldfinger” having the highest Rotten Tomatoes rating of any James Bond entry at 99%. That’s an incredible feat for a movie that was released more than 60 years ago, and which has to compete with the modern, more technically advanced Daniel Craig movies.
“Goldfinger” is the second James Bond title in our list to have the word “gold” in the title. While GoldenEye was the name of a satellite weapon, Goldfinger is the name of this movie’s villain. Auric Goldfinger (Gert Fröbe) has a thing for gold and power. He traffics in the precious metal and uses gold paint on occasion to murder insubordinate associates. The villain wants the gold at Fort Knox, but not necessarily to spend it.
“Goldfinger’s” Bond girl (Honor Blackman) is one of the film’s highlights, and not just because of her memorable name. “Goldfinger” also stands out for pioneering a few elements that became standard for the James Bond movies that followed, including the various gadgets James Bond uses – next-generation technology that continues to impress audiences to this day. The Aston Martin DB5 is one such example — an iconic James Bond car filled with gadgets. The film also opens with an action sequence unrelated to the plot, which would become another Bond movie staple.
