A complete guide to watching every James Bond movie in order

Dr. No (1962)

Setting a high bar for every Bond to come afterward is Sean Connery in Dr. No, carrying a career-defining role and a remarkable accent for 007. While Dr. No was Ian Fleming’s sixth Bond novelit’s the agent's big-screen debuthelping to define the action genre as we know it. It introduced the theme music that remains mostly unchanged todayas well as the signature gun-barrel title sequence. Every installment has followed suitpun intended.

The first Bond film features Honey Ryder’s (Ursula Andress) legendary entrance out of the ocean (the white bikinithe seashell)and introduced two key recurring players: Bond’s beleaguered boss M (Bernard Lee) and his secretary Miss Moneypenny (Lois Maxwell)whose crush on Bond is the stuff of legend.

Where to watch Dr. No: Netflix

From Russia With Love (1963)

Acclaimed as one of the best 007 entriesFrom Russia With Love was a smash-hit that solidified the franchise’s staying power. In many ways this is a quintessential Cold War thrillerfirmly rooted in the cinematic conventions the franchise was reinventing on the flybut with palpable shades of real world politics.

The plot offers real stakeswith one villainous scheme nesting inside anothera classic honey trap that sets up a bigger trap. Meanwhilein the history of Bond vs. Bond villains going head-to-headfew can match Connery squaring off against Robert Shaw’s ice-blond SPECTRE assassin.

Where to watch From Russia With Love: Netflix

Goldfinger (1964)

Goldfinger boasts one of the most shocking deaths put to screenin which a woman painted head to toe in gold-dust suffers a dazzling suffocation. That beautifully grotesque image remains among the franchise’s most iconic visuals. Goldfinger also features the regrettably named Pussy Galore (Honor Blackman) and her all-female martial-arts/pilot gangthe Flying Circusas well as the henchman Oddjob (Harold Sakata).

Then there’s the trope to end all tropes: the supervillain’s over-the-top death device that our hero escapes just in the nick of time. Hereit’s an industrial laser that comes dangerously close to eliminating the very manhood by which Bond has made his reputation.

Where to watch Goldfinger: Netflix

Thunderball (1965)

Bond’s ongoing battle against SPECTRE continues in Thunderball. The terrorist organization has gotten its hands on two atomic bombspart of an effort to blackmail the U.K. and the United States. It’s a simple ransom at heart — “Give us money or we’ll blow up one of your major cities” — that sets the stage for a marvelous cat-and-mouse thriller involving face-swappinga vintage femme fatale (Luciana Paluzzi)and an elaborately choreographed underwater action climax.

This is the early Bond era at its biggest and splashiest (pun intended)and Connery gets a prime showcase for his comic timing and athletic prowess.

Where to watch Thunderball: Netflix

You Only Live Twice (1967)

Written by children's book author Roald DahlYou Only Live Twice is the first Fleming adaptation to be only loosely based on its source material. It also came along at an interesting time for the genre. Cinemas had been flooded with spy movies by this point; even the Bond spoof Casino Royalereleased the same yearrivaled the real 007 film's popularity.

You Only Live Twice makes franchise history by finally showing us the face of Blofeld (Donald Pleasence)head of SPECTRE. The character was previously only seen from behind or in close-ups of his hands petting his sinister white kitty.

Where to watch You Only Live Twice: Netflix

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On Her Majesty's Secret Service (1969)

While On Her Majesty's Secret Service was met with general animosity from fans and critics upon releasethe film has seen an extraordinary reappraisal in the decades sincewith some even ranking it as the best Bond film. In his film debutAustralian model George Lazenby took over for Connerywhile Diana Rigg appeared as Bond girl turned Bond wife.

OHMSS presents a humanized Bond who forgoes service to Her Majesty the Queen for love and marriage. The action sequences and location photographyparticularly scenes on the slopes in the Swiss Alpshave aged just as well. Lazenby declined to continue the role — a decision he came to regret.

Where to watch On Her Majesty’s Secret Service: Netflix

Diamonds Are Forever (1971)

After the modest but disappointing box-office haul of OHMSSthe franchise brought Connery out of his (first) Bond retirement to get things back on track. And it worked! Going back to the old formulaDiamonds Are Forever plays the hits: a womanizing Bonda preposterous villain schemeand several action scenes where 007 simply kicks ass.

There’s good old-fashioned espionagetoo — Bond goes undercover in a diamond smuggling operation that ties back toyesBlofeld. Despite the film's successConnery once again called it quits after its release. He returned 12 years later for the non-EON Never Say Never Againwhich many consider non-canon.

Where to watch Diamonds Are Forever: Netflix

Live and Let Die (1973)

Live and Let Die brought several firsts to the franchise. It was Roger Moore’s debut as 007bringing a poshplayful sophistication to the role. It was also the first Bond film that didn’t have a wannabe world dictator as its villain. Instead it was rooted in more realistic conditions like drug dealing and human traffickingwith a kingpin at its center: Kananga (Yaphet Kotto). Live and Let Die also notably broke the color barrierwith Bond’s relationship with a Black womanRosie Carver (Gloria Hendry)being among the foremost mainstream films to feature an interracial romance. 

Where to watch Live and Let Die: Amazon Prime Video

The Man With the Golden Gun (1974)

Moore’s second Bond outingThe Man With the Golden Gun features Christopher Lee as the assassin Scaramangaa role that would have been camp in anyone else’s hands. InsteadLee elevates it to almost Shakespearean heights. Golden Gun also gives us another iconic henchman in Nick Nack (Hervé Villechaize)a perfect foil to Lee’s grounded work as the ubervillain.

Another unique feature here is Maud Adams as Scaramanga’s loverAndrea Anders. The actress is one of the only Bond girls to reappear in the franchise as a different characterdoing so nearly a decade later in Octopussy. 

Where to watch The Man With the Golden Gun: Netflix

The Spy Who Loved Me (1977)

The Spy Who Loved Mea.k.a. the underwater car onesees Bond go up against Karl Stromberg (Curt Jürgens)a wealthy maniac who intends to provoke World War III and create a new civilization at the bottom of the ocean. AppropriatelyStromberg’s henchman is named Jawsplayed by the inimitable Richard Kielwhose metal teeth and imposing physique make for some of the franchise’s most memorable fight scenes.

Of coursethose fights have nothing on this film’s most iconic sequence: an opening set piece involving a downhill ski chase that concludes with Bond jumping off a mountain and parachuting to safety.

Where to watch The Spy Who Loved Me: Netflix

Moonraker (1979)

After the Moonraker Space Shuttle is hijacked midair from an aircraft carrierBond is sent to investigate. He soon finds himself in the middle of a bioterrorism plot concocted by the Moonraker’s own creatorHugo Drax (Michael Lonsdale)who wants to wipe out huge chunks of the human population.

Moonraker marks the first henchman encore: Jaws returns for another epic fight with Bond. Once again he surviveseventually becoming Drax’s bodyguard. This movie also returns to Bond girl double entendre form with Dr. Holly Goodhead (Lois Chiles)an astronaut.

Where to watch Moonraker: Netflix

For Your Eyes Only (1981)

After the franchise's previous sci-fi adventureFor Your Eyes Only comes back down to Earth. Bond is tasked with finding a stealth missile control system that could lead to global annihilation if it falls into the wrong hands. MeanwhileJulian Glover plays Roger Moore's foeAristotle Kristatos.

Bond isn’t the only one who’d love to see Kristatos dead: For Your Eyes Only also features Melina Havelock (Carole Bouquet)who’s out to avenge her parents’ death at Kristatos’ ordersand Milos Columbo (Chaim Topol)Kristato’s former smuggling partner turned No. 1 enemy. 

Where to watch For Your Eyes Only: Netflix

Octopussy (1983)

The theft of a coveted Fabergé egg opens Octopussyspinning a tale of international intrigue and the smuggling of historically significant art and jewelry. At the center of it all is Orlov (Steven Berkoff)a Russian operative looking to expand his country's colonization of the world. Also in play is Octopussy (Maud Adams) and her traveling circuswhom Orlov is using as a front for his smuggling operation.

Orlov’s plan is to detonate a nuclear warhead on the U.S. naval base in Germanypresumptively inspiring European powers to dismantle their nuclear programsleaving their borders open for Russian invasion.

Where to watch Octopussy: Netflix

Never Say Never Again (1983)

Why were there two Bond movies (and two Bonds) in one year? The tl;dr version is it all ties back to a legal battle between Fleming and Thunderball’s screenwriterswhich resulted in EON Productions losing film rights to the novel. Never Say Never Again is essentially a Thunderball remake: the two stolen bombsthe ransomthe underwater fightthe whole bit. Thusthis non-EON Bond film is technically not considered a part of the series' canon.

But the film is most notable for being Connery’s (brief) return as 007. That he’s a creakieraging Bond does not escape the screenplay’s notice. Never also features Max Von Sydow as Blofeld and a young Kim Basinger as a Bond girl.

Where to watch Never Say Never Again: Netflix

A View to a Kill (1985)

In addition to being Moore’s last jaunt as 007A View to a Kill is notable for several reasons. Among them is the wondrous Grace Jones as May Daythe villain Max Zorin’s (Christopher Walken) henchwoman and lover (and an absolute fashion iconto boot).

With a rocking intro song from Duran Duranthe music of A View to a Kill stands out among the best in the franchise. There's also a particularly memorable climactic sequence set around the Golden Gate Bridge. 

Where to watch A View to a Kill: Netflix

The Living Daylights (1987)

Some major changes arrive along with a new BondTimothy Daltonin The Living Daylights. This new 007 era comes without Lois Maxwell after her 14-film run with the Moneypenny role. The actress reportedly requested her character be killed offbut the role was instead recast with Caroline Blisswho only lasted as long as Dalton’s two-film run as the superspy.

As it turned outDalton was a reluctant casting choice on all sides. His more grounded take on Bondin many ways the antithesis of Moore’s versiondidn’t make the impact producers hoped.

Where to watch The Living Daylights: Netflix

License to Kill (1989)

License to Kill marked two key franchise firsts: It was the first film to not be named after a Fleming bookand it was the first to be primarily filmed outside the U.K.

Principal photography took place in the U.S. and Mexicoas much of the plot revolves around Florida’s tropical getaway Key West. Look closely and you’ll see a young Benicio del Toro as the villainous Franz Sanchez’s (Robert Davi) henchman.

Where to watch License to Kill: Netflix

GoldenEye (1995)

Pierce Brosnan was reportedly Bond producers’ first choice to replace Moorebut his Remington Steele obligations threw a wrench into those plans. Come 1995Brosnan finally took the role for GoldenEyebringing back the debonairdevil-may-care version of Bond — part superheropart super agent.

Plot-wiseBrosnan’s Bond sees things get personal right awayas it’s his close friend and fellow agent006 Alec Trevelyan (Sean Bean)who serves up the villainous goods. This was the first Bond movie since the fall of the Soviet Unionand its wholly original story sets the dissolution of the USSR as its backdrop.

Where to watch GoldenEye: Netflix

Tomorrow Never Dies (1997)

In yet another post-Cold War narrativeTomorrow Never Dies features a complicated arms trafficking plot involving Russia and Chinaintroducing Michelle Yeoh as a Chinese special agent and Teri Hatcher as a pseudo-turncoat — she goes from Bond’s ex-girlfriend to the big bad’s wife.

The franchise makes an interestingcounterintuitive pivot on the villain front: in Elliot Carver (Jonathan Pryce)we have a billionaire media tycoon using the digital revolution to manipulate global events and start a war for his own nefarious purposes. It’s less sexy than raiding Fort Knox or wiping out the human racebut admittedly more prescient.

Where to watch Tomorrow Never Dies: Netflix

The World Is Not Enough (1999)

Directed by ace journeyman Michael AptedThe World Is Not Enough is a straightforward yet at times campy installment. Look no further than ’90s “it girl” Denise Richards as nuclear physicist Christmas Jones (and the howlingly on-the-nose double entendre that name sets up)or John Cleese’s special appearance as “R,” an in-joke about his role as Q’s successor-in-training. (TragicallyDesmond Llewelyn was killed in a car accident before the film’s releaseending his nearly four-decade run.)

The plot revolves around the murder of a businessman and kidnapping of his daughter (Sophie Marceau) by a megalomaniacal terroristRenard (Robert Carlyle)whoof courseis ex-KGB.

Where to watch The World Is Not Enough: Netflix

Die Another Day (2002)

Brosnan’s last outing was the franchise’s 40th anniversary. ThusDie Another Day is uncharacteristically loaded with easter eggs referencing the canonincluding Halle Berry mirroring Ursula Andress’ Dr. No entrancebut in an orange bikini instead of white.

The villainGustav Graves (Toby Stephens)was modeled after the Nazi Hugo Drax in Moonrakerwho stole the identity of a soldier to rebuild his life. HereGraves’ original self was a North Korean war criminal who used genetic therapy to change his appearance. This movie features Rosamund Pike as a sexy double agent andyesan invisible car speeding across a frozen lake. What more could you want?

Where to watch Die Another Day: Netflix

Casino Royale (2006)

With Daniel Craig assuming the 007 mantle in Casino Royalewe got a fresh take that aligned with Fleming’s version: a vulnerableeasily injured (physically and otherwise)less polished MI6 spy who loses as much as he wins. This Bond also catered to a more intersectional gaze; one of his first appearances is a spin on Andress’ iconic surf saunterwith only a Speedo between Bond and the water.

Mads Mikkelsen was built in a lab to play a Bond villainand his Le Chiffre doesn’t disappoint. But it’s the Bond girl who steals the show. As double agent Vesper LyndEva Green is such a powerful figure that her memory haunts Bond for the entirety of Craig’s tenure.

Where to watch Casino Royale: Netflix

Quantum of Solace (2008)

Where Casino Royale was a stealth love storyQuantum of Solace is a rip-roaring revenge tale that takes Bond around the world in a fiery rampage of retribution for Vesper. Practically speakingeverything revolves around the mysterious organization Quantumwhich has apparently orchestrated too many subplots to count. Jeffrey Wright appears as Bond’s CIA counterpartFelix Leiter.

Mathieu Amalricas a Quantum VIP masquerading as a legitimate businessmanslips nicely into the tradition of chillingly disaffected European baddies. We also have Gemma Arterton’s Strawberry Fieldswhose character and look were d after the 1960s Bond girls.

Where to watch Quantum of Solace: Netflix

Skyfall (2012)

Sam Mendes’ Skyfall returns with Naomie Harris as an upgraded Moneypennywho isn’t just a secretary but a full-blown field agent. We also have a young Qwith Ben Whishaw bringing a fresh nerdiness to the role. Then there's the embittered ex-MI6 agent Raoul Silva (Javier Bardem)whose gripes against Her Majesty’s Secret Service are numerousputting him firmly in “sympathetic villain” territory.

This is the rare Bond movie that transcended its place within the franchise and became a modern classic in its own right. It only takes one glimpse of the Shanghai fight scene’s silhouettesor Silva’s attempt to disarm a handcuffed Bondto know why.

Where to watch Skyfall: Netflix

25. Spectre (2015)

Spectre solidified the Craig era’s commitment to a more serialized approach to Bond. Whereas the franchise’s first few decades were all one-off adventuresthe 21st century incarnation leaned on personal mythology. Suddenly — and controversially — James Bond had a pasta childhooda whole backstory.

Thuswhen Craig finally meets his Blofeld (Christoph Waltz)this version is not just his nemesis but his adopted brotheras the series continues unraveling the man behind the spy. Spectre also notably opens with a terrific Day of the Dead set piece — and finally fulfills Monica Bellucci’s Bond girl destiny.

Where to watch Spectre: Netflix

No Time to Die (2021)

No Time to Die merges the moderntormented Bond with an old-school “megalomaniacal billionaire” archetype. In Craig’s swan songBond has been “retired” for five yearshis 007 handle passed on to a new agent (Lashana Lynch). Once Bond is back in businessalbeit for the CIAhe’s grappling with a loss of identity as he faces Lyutsifer Safin (Rami Malek).

The thorny psychological dynamics between SafinBondand Madeleine Swann (Lea Seydoux) justify the Craig era’s more personalvulnerable interpretation of the character and the world he inhabits. Ultimatelythere’s plenty of time to dieas Bond makes the ultimate sacrifice to save the world.

Where to watch No Time to Die: Netflix