Daniel Craig's Bond Films Ranked Best to Worst

Over the course of five films Daniel Craig has had a remarkable turnaround, from being disliked by many fans to now being lauded as perhaps the greatest Bond ever. With his closing chapter No Time To Die sitting high atop the box office, it felt right to look back at his five films and rank them from best to worst (contains spoilers).

1) Skyfall (2012)

Adele's theme song, the return of Bond's Aston Martin, the explosion at MI6, Moneypenny shooting Bond, the death of M... Skyfall is full of unforgettable moments, but it's the way it modernises iconic parts of Bond history that truly sets it out as Craig's best Bond film. The film pursues the problem of the value of human intelligence in a digital world, a question which Bond had been needing to grapple with. While there's no precise answer, Skyfall uses this quandary to produce the best Bond story ever.

Most iconic moment: The death of Judy Dench's M

2) Casino Royale (2006)

This wasn't a subtle transition from Pierce Brosnan's suave sophistication, it was a full blown collision into Daniel Craig's gritty realism. The Casino Royale story was perfect for Craig to begin with; an original Ian Fleming story gave it authenticity, but the setting and themes gave the writers space to develop Craig's Bond to the fullest. With the gadgets reduced and the violence elevated, many weren't sure about this new Bond, but Casino Royale remains a bold, uncompromising and utterly brilliant Bond film.

Most iconic moment: “Shaken or stirred?” “Do I look like I give a damn?!”

3) No Time To Die (2021)

More than any other film, No Time To Die has it's focus heavily on Bond himself. The antagonist's relation to Bond goes deeper than just a bad guy trying to destroy the world, they are also a specific threat to that which Bond truly loves, and it's this paradox which makes No Time To Die so engaging. The story is utterly gripping, twisting and turning just enough to keep you in your seat without confusion. It's the end which this film will be best remembered for, but with a moment as shocking as Bond's death, that was always going to be the case.

Most iconic moment: James Bond's death

4) Spectre (2015)

Re-introducing Blofeld was a stroke of genius, and Christopher Waltz immaculately updated a ground-breaking film villain. Bond films always try to balance being serious, thrilling, comedic and entertaining, and with Craig's characterisation it can easily tip the wrong way. Spectre does that occasionally, with the slow pacing and dark narrative feeling a little overbearing. However, the performances from the whole cast are enough to still make Spectre a high calibre Bond film.

Most iconic moment: “Cuckoooooo...”

5) Quantum of Solace (2008)

It's no surprise really that this is at the bottom of the list. A disappointing sequel that threatened to derail Craig's tenure, from the meaningless title to the depressingly dark themes, this film missed Bond's subtle tongue in cheek nature which the others manage to just about hold onto. There's several brutal deaths with little in the way of humour to counteract them, and as such it all feels a little too sinister for a Bond film. Taken in it's own context Quantum of Solace is actually a decent noir action thriller, but with the restrictions a Bond film presents it sits as the only real misstep in the entire Craig series.

Most iconic moment: Bond leaving his villain in the desert with only a can of oil to drink