Are you someone who wants to know more about classic James Bond by watching his thrilling films? If so, we have covered you with all the James Bond Movies to watch in Order. This popular and classic espionage franchise has entertained fans over generations establishing its unique identity. There is no doubt that there are multiple spy films to Watch, but none of them can match the style and appeal of James Bond.
The James Bond film franchise is more than 60 years old and always manages to thrill the audience. Watching a Bond film is a worthwhile experience, with six James Bond actors playing the titular role maintaining its prestige. But, every film is an equally good representation of the previous ones.
How To Watch James Bond Movies In Order?
So, let’s make your weekend more entertaining with old Bond magic and watch the James Bond film in its release order. Let’s go!
- Dr. No (5 October 1962)
- From Russia with Love (10 October 1963)
- Goldfinger (17 September 1964)
- Thunderball (22 December 1965)
- You only Live Twice (13 June 1967)
- Casino Royale (13 April 1967)
- On her Majesty’s Secret Service (18 December 1969)
- Diamonds are Forever (17 December 1971)
- Live and Let Die (1 January 1973)
- The Man with the Golden Gun (20 December 1974)
- The Spy who Loved me (8 July 1977)
- Moonraker (26 June 1979)
- For your Eyes Only (26 June 1981)
- Octopussy (6 June 1983)
- Never Say Never Again (7 October 1983)
- A View to a Kill (24 May 1985)
- The Living Daylights (31 July 1987)
- License to Kill (13 June 1989)
- Golden Eye (13 November 1995)
- Tomorrow Never Dies (12 December 1997)
- The World is Not Enough (8 November 1999)
- Die Another Day (20 November 2002)
- Casino Royale (14 November 2006)
- Quantum of Solace (7 November 2008)
- Skyfall (23 October 2012)
- Spectre (20 November 2015)
- No Time to Die (30 September 2021)
How To Watch All James Bond Movies In Chronological Order?
You must be thinking about where to begin the exciting journey of the legendary actor James Bond. We have listed them and informed you about what each of them has in store for you!
1. Dr. No:
The first James Bond movie was Dr. NO. It begins the story of Agent 007. He was sent to Jamaica to find out about the disappearance of a fellow British Agent. In this process, he comes across an underground base of Dr. No, who has made a plan to hamper the US Space Program. Consequently, he decided to fight against him and fail his plan.
Since it was the first film in the series, it established the elements of a Standard James bond film. The film starts with an introduction to the character of James Bond. He holds the view of a gun barrel and a stylish main sequence. Maurice Binder created both of these elements.
At the same time, there is an iconic theme music of the film that became popular. Overall, the film got a mixed reaction at its release. After users, it has become one of the best films of the James Bond series. Also, it established the genre of secret agent films that became prominent in the 1960s.
Director: Terence Young
Starring: Sean Connery, Ursula Andress, Joseph Wiseman, Jack Lord, Anthony Dawson,
Where to Watch: YouTube
Ratings: 7.2/10
Release Date: 6 October 1962
Earnings: $59.5 million
2. From Russia With Love (1963):
The next film, ‘From Russia with love,’ further added new elements to the series. In this film, James Bond searches for a Lektor cryptographic device. The device had the power to destroy the world. He stops SPECTRE, a secret crime organization, to get their hands on it. The film became both a critical and commercial success.
It’s a complete entertainment package that was loved by the general audience and added elements like a pre-title sequence, the Blofeld character, a secret-weapon gadget for Bond, a helicopter sequence, and a postscript action scene after the central climax. At the same time, a theme song with lyrics and the line “James Bond will return/be back” was used in the credits.
Director: Terence Young
Starring: Sean Connery, Pedro Armendáriz, Lotte Lenya, Robert Shaw, Bernard Lee
Where to Watch: YouTube
Ratings: 7.4/10
Release Date: 10 October 1963
Earnings: 7.9 crores USD
3. Goldfinger (1964):
Do you know which film brought the spotlight on James Bond? It’s none other than Goldfinger. So, many elements in this film were replicated in other James Bond films released later. The film had extensive use of Technology and gadgets by James Bond. At the same time, the use of a big pre-credits sequence that was distinct from the main storyline was used in the film. Alongside, the film was shot across a variety of locations.
In the film, James Bond is shown as an M16 Agent. He has the task of investigating a gold smuggling circle. A Businessman, Auric Goldfinger, manages the circle. Later, he gets into the depth of his activities and reveals the identity of a criminal plan to attack Fort Knox’s gold reserves. The movie became a financial success and recovered its budget within two weeks.
Director: Guy Hamilton
Starring: Sean Connery, Honor Blackman, Gert Fröbe, Shirley Eaton, Tania Mallet, Where to Watch- YouTube
Release Date: 17 September 1964
Earnings: 12.5 crores USD
Ratings: 7.7/10
4. Thunderball (1965):
Thunderball, the next James Bond film, became the first to be shot on a widescreen Panavision. Also, it was the first film with a long run time of more than two hours. In the plot, a SPECTRE agent steals two atomic bombs. They were stolen from a Nato plane, and Bond is given the job of getting the warheads and stopping their criminal plan.
Many critics and viewers praised Thunderball and appreciated the new changes introduced in the film. But, others found many elements as a repetition, like the underwater action scenes. It had a complex production process and four different units to shoot it. Moreover, one-fourth of the film is only about underwater scenes.
Director- Terence Young
Starring- Sean Connery, Claudine Auger, Adolfo Celi, Luciana Paluzzi, Rik Van Nutter,
Release Date- 22 December 1965
Earnings-$141.2 million
Ratings- 6.9/10
5. You Only Live Twice (1967):
The fifth film in the installment is ‘You only live twice.’ In the movie, an American space capsule gets stolen by a Russian Spaceship. But, James Bond comes to know that SPECTRE is behind it. Also, he sets on a mission to discover the motive behind it.
When the film was being shot, Sean Connery announced that he would retire from playing the role of James Bond. Still, he returned after a movie in Diamonds is Forever and Never Say Never Again.
The film received positive reviews and more than $111 million in global collections. Still, there was a little decline in revenue for the film, and it became the first James Bond film to witness it. An intense reason for it was strong competition from other filmmakers who made a similar imitation of the Bond film genre.
Director: Lewis Gilbert
Starring: Sean Connery, Karin Dor
Release Date: 13 June 1967
Earnings: 11.16 crores USD
Ratings: 6.8/10
6. Casino Royale (1967):
The next movie that was released was ‘Casino Royale.’ James Bond played the role of a secret retired agent who had to come out of his retirement to find the real culprit behind the deaths and disappearances of international spies. Soon, he is involved in a battle with mysterious Dr. Noah and SMERSH. He makes six other agents pretend to be James Bond to mislead SMERSH.
With a collection of over $41.7 million worldwide, the film was a financial success. At the same, the music of the film was praised and earned an Academy Award Nomination. However, it got negative reviews for its baffling, disorganized affair.
Director: John Huston, Ken Hughes, Robert Parrish, Joe McGrath, Val Guest
Starring: Peter Sellers, Ursula Andress, David Niven, Woody Allen, Joanna Pettet
Where to Watch: Apple iTunes
Release Date: 14 April 1967
Earnings: 1.2 crores USD
Ratings: 5/10
7. On Her Majesty’s Secret Service (1969):
One of the most popular films in the James Bond series is On Her Majesty’s Secret Service. James Bond embarks on a journey to defeat Blofeld. The latter has hypnotized a beautiful woman to use her as a medium to fulfill his wrong objectives. He falls in love with the daughter of a criminal gang leader.
As Connery announced that he would retire from the role of Bond, a model with no prior acting role George Lazenby, was selected among countless candidates. But, when the film was shot, he said he would play this role only once.
It got mixed reviews upon its release. But, over time, the film has gained popularity and has become one of the best films in the series. Moreover, it’s one of the best adaptations of a Fleming novel.
Director: Peter R. Hunt
Starring: George Lazenby, Diana Rigg, Telly Savalas, Bernard Lee, Gabriele Ferzetti
Release Date: 18 December 1969
Earnings: 8.2 crores USD
Ratings: 6.8/10
8. Diamonds Are Forever (1971):
Do you know that despite retiring from James Bond, Connery returned to play the role? Since Lazenby, who played James Bond in the previous film, refused to play the role again, Connery returned as Bond after retirement. For this, he was paid a whopping $1.25 million salary.
In the film, Bond was investigating diamond smuggling in Las Vegas. There is discovers an evil plot about a wealthy business tycoon. At the same time, he has to deal with his former rival, who wants to use the diamonds to make a giant laser.
Upon its release, the film became a commercial success. Also, the critics appreciated the film, and it got nominated for the Academy Award for Best Sound.
Director: Guy Hamilton
Starring: Sean Connery, Charles Gray, Lana Wood, Jimmy Dean, Bruce Cabot
Where to Watch: YouTube
Release Date: 17 December 1971
Earnings: 11.6 crores USD
Ratings: 6.5/10
9. Live And Let Die (1973):
All the earlier mentioned Bond films had good levels of powerful supervillains. But live and let Die is centered around drug trafficking. It was a common theme in movies from that era.
Also, it was one of the initial Bonds films set in African-American cultural centers. It includes places like Harlem and New Orleans, as well as the Caribbean Islands. Fans saw an African-American Bond girl romantically involved with 007 for the first time.
As per the storyline, James Bond had to go to New York to find out about the reason for the mysterious deaths of British agents. During the journey, he meets a voodoo master and a tarot card reader, and new twists follow the plot. It has become both a critical and commercial success.
Director: Guy Hamilton
Starring: Roger Moore, Yaphet Kotto, Jane Seymour
Where to Watch: YouTube
Release Date: 1 January 1973
Earnings: 16.18 crores USD
Ratings: 6.7/10
10. The Man With The Golden Gun (1974):
The man with the Gun golden was one of the few films that got mixed reviews. Some reviews called it a poor level in the James Bond film series. However, fans loved Christopher Lee’s character of Scaramanga.
In the film, we see the villain having similar abilities and Bond. However, the comedic aspect and performances of Moore and Britt Ekland received criticism. Despite being profitable, it did low business compared to other Bond films.
James Bond gets a mission to get a device to get solar energy. In the simulation, he learns he is the target for Francisco Scaramanga. The latter is the world’s most expensive contract killer, and new challenges are coming.
Director: Guy Hamilton
Starring: Roger Moore, Christopher Lee, Britt Ekland
ReleaseDate: 20 December 1974
Earnings: 9.76 crores USD
Ratings: 6.7/10
11. The Spy Who Loved me (1977):
After a not so loved Bond film, the spy who loved me marked a return to the same signature James Bond films. It was appreciated by critics and fans alike. In the plot, a royal navy Polaris submarine QHD has 16 nuclear warheads. But, it unknowingly disappears, and Bond gets a partner in Major Anya to solve the issue.
The critics praised Moore’s performance, and he loved it too. The film was shot across Egypt and Italy, and underwater scenes were filmed in the Bahamas. Apart from that, a soundstage was made in a Studios. It was done to complete an extensive set to shoot the scenes like an inside of a supertanker.
Director: Lewis Gilbert
Starring: Roger Moore, Barbara Bach, Curt Jürgens, Richard Kiel, Caroline Munro
Where to Watch: YouTube
Release Date: 13 July 1977
Earnings: $185.4 million
Ratings: 7/10
12. Moonraker (1979):
With a rise in the science fiction genre apart from star wars films, the makers devised a plan to make a film like Moonraker on similar lines. Otherwise, originally the makers planned to make something like For Your Eyes Only. In the story, a space shuttle given on loan to the UK gets hijacked. So, James Bond has to come forward and solve the issue.
Given the budget issues, the film was shot in France, Italy, Brazil, Guatemala, and the United States. At the same time, the Pinewood Studios that was earlier used for the shooting was only used for working on special effects work.
Director: Lewis Gilbert
Starring: Roger Moore, Lois Chiles, Michael Lonsdale, Richard Kiel
Release Date: 26 June 1979
Earnings: 21.03 crores USD
Ratings: 6.2/10
13. For Your Eyes Only (1981):
In contrast to the previous film, moonraker, which had a more fantasy approach, For your eyes only is a more realistic film. A British vessel that had the work of gathering information got sunk. So, Bond is brought in to find its encryption device. He had to work quickly to prevent that device from reaching the wrong hands.
The film was shot in Greece, Italy, and England. Also, the underwater scenes were shot in the Bahamas. It gained popularity over time for having a more serious theme than previous films. Alongside, it made good Earnings of $195.3 million worldwide.
Director: John Glen
Starring: Roger Moore, Carole Bouquet, Chaim Topol, Lynn-Holly Johnson
Release Date: 26 June 1981
Earnings: 19.53 crores USD
Ratings: 6.7/10
14. Octopussy (1983):
The next film is Octopussy, where Agent 007 goes on a mission to prevent a nuclear attack on NATO. But, for it, he has to take the help of a circus group. Octopussy is an obscure leader of that group.
The film grossed $187.5 million, much higher than its original budget. Also, the critics appreciated the action sequences, locations, plot, and humor of the film. But, the title character, played by Maud Adams, got mixed reviews
Director: Director: John Glen
Starring: Roger Moore, Maud Adams, Louis Jourdan
Release Date: 6 June 1983
Earnings: 18.75 crores USD
Ratings: 6.5/10
15. Never Say Never Again (1983):
Sean Connery returned for the final time to play James Bond. It was the seventh time he played the role, and he made his last return after 12 years. The last time he played the role was in Diamonds are Forever, where he charged hefty fees. In the film, two cruise missiles are stolen by a SPECTRE agent. So, James Bond has to get them back before something wrong happens.
Interestingly, the title has a reference to Connery. He announced in 1971 that he should never play the role of Bond, so the title was popularly named. When the film was shot, Connery was 52. Consequently, Bond was often addressed as aging and past his prime.
The film collected $160 million at the box office. It was a commercial success, yet it earned less than Octopussy. The latter was released earlier in the same year.
Director: Irvin Kershner
Starring: Sean Connery, Klaus Maria Brandauer, Max von Sydow, Barbara Carrera, Kim Basinger, Bernie Casey, Alec McCowen, Edward Fox
Release Date: 7 October 1983
Earnings: 16 crores USD
Ratings: 6.1/10
16. A View To A Kill (1985):
The next film was A view to a kill. In the film, a microchip manufacturer Max Zorin comes up with a plan. He wants to destroy all his competitors. So, agent 007 has to end the maniac’s lethal intentions.
The film got mixed reviews from critics. Some even targeted that the increase in Moore’s age impacted his performance. But, the film was a commercial success. Even the theme song did well in the charts. It’s the only theme song from a James Bond film to find a place on Billboard Hot 100.
Director: John Glen
Starring: Roger Moore, Tanya Roberts, Grace Jones, Patrick MacneeChristopher Walken
Release Date: 24 May 1985
Earnings: 15.24 crores USD
Ratings: 6.3/10
17. The Living Daylights (1987):
One of the last films to use the title of Ian Fleming’s story is the Living Daylights. After that, Casino Royale used it in 2006. James Bond has to travel across multiple continents to tackle and defeat an arms dealer. He plans with a Soviet general to start another world war for money.
The film got mixed reviews from fans and critics. But the movie was appreciated for its pace and good sets. However, it seems overplotted at various levels. Upon its release, the film earned $191.2 million worldwide.
Director: John Glen
Release Date: 1 January 1987
Starring: Timothy Dalton Maryam d’Abo,vJoe Don Baker, Art Malik, John Rhys-Davies, Release Date- 1 January 1987
Earnings: 19.12 crores USD
Ratings: 6.7/10
18. Licence To Kill (1989):
Interestingly, the following film, Licence to Kill, was the first film on agent 007 to be shot entirely outside the UK. It was shot in Mexico, the US, and Estudios Churubusco. In the film, Bond sets on a mission to get revenge when a drug lord wounds his friend. As M16 does not want to support him, he has to handle the issue alone.
License to Kill grossed over $156 million globally and got positive reviews. Also, it got praise for the action stunts. But, it was criticized for its dark tone reflected in the character of Bond, played by Dalton.
Director: John Glen
Starring: Timothy Dalton, Carey Lowell, Robert Davi, Talisa Soto,
Release Date: 13 June 1989
Earnings: 15.61 crores USD
Ratings: 6.6/10
19. Golden Eye (1995):
The first Bond film to use computer-generated graphics. Also, it was the last film by Derek Meddings. He was a special effects supervisor in the Bond film, and this film was dedicated to his memory. In the movie, James Bond with Natalia has to go to Russia.
He has to find a satellite nuclear weapon that Alec stole. He was a former agent, and agent 007 thought he was dead. Overall, the film got positive reviews and earned nominations in the categories of Special Visual Effects and Sound at the BAFTA.
Director: Martin Campbell
Starring: Pierce Brosnan, Sean Bean, Izabella Scorupco, Famke Janssen,
Where to Watch: YouTube
Release Date: 13 November 1995
Earnings: $356.4 million
Ratings: 7.2/10
20. Tomorrow Never Dies (1997):
Tomorrow Never Dies is the next film after golden eye in the James Bond Film series. Agent 006, an undercover agent, embarks on a mission to prevent a media person Elliot from his evil deeds. He is making attempts to start a war between China and the United Kingdom when the Secret Intelligence Service calls him.
The film makes a massive grossing of $333 million worldwide. It became the fourth-highest-grossing film of 1997. Overall, the film received mixed reviews and got more collected at the US Box office than the golden eye.
It has a high level of contemporary references and a little more modern villain. He brings a more subtle appeal than the regular satirical ones and makes them feel a blend of the classic Bond films and contemporary style.
Director: Roger Spottiswoode
Starring: Pierce Brosnan, Jonathan Pryce, Michelle Yeoh, Teri Hatcher, Joe Don Baker, Where to Watch- YouTube
Release Date: 9 December 1997
Earnings: 33.3 crores USD
Ratings: 6.5/10
21. The World Is Not Enough (1999):
The 21st installment in the James Bond series is The world is not enough. In it, Bond is tasked to protect the daughter of an oil trading tycoon. He gets in a task to learn more about the dangerous plot.
The film was shot in different places, including Spain, France, Azerbaijan, Turkey, and the UK. At the same time, the interior scenes were shot in Pinewood Studios. Moreover, the film got mixed reviews with criticism for the plot and casting. While appreciation was made for the emotional depth and focus on characters compared to previous films.
Director: Michael Apted
Starring: Pierce Brosnan, Robert Carlyle, Sophie Marceau, Denise Richards, Robbie Coltrane
Release Date: 8 November 1999
Earnings: 36.18 crores USD
Ratings: 6.4/10
22. Die Another Day (2002):
Die another day was released to celebrate the 40th anniversary of the James Bond franchise. As per the plot, Bond is given a job to find out about the link between a Korean terrorist and a diamond baron. But, when he is betrayed, he is caught by the enemy.
There are several references to previous films made in it. Also, it got mixed reviews, with praise for direction and criticism for the excessive use of CGI and product placement. Moreover, critics found its plot and villain weren’t original. But, upon its release, it became the highest-grossing James Bond film up to that time.
Director: Lee Tamahori
Starring: Pierce Brosnan, Halle Berry, Toby Stephens, Rosamund Pike
Release Date: 20 November 2002
Earnings: $431.9 million
Ratings: 6.1/10
23. Casino Royale (2006):
In Casino Royale, Agent James Bond sets on a mission to stop Le Chiffre from gaining a high-stakes poker game. He was a mob banker who could bring problems. For that, he is aided by a British Treasury agent Lynd. In this film, we get to see practical stunt work and not computer-generated stunts as we see in other James Bond films.
It earned a whopping $616 million and was the highest-grossing Bond film at its release. Also, critics praised it for reinventing the characters from previous Bond films.
Director: Martin Campbell
Starring: Daniel Craig, Eva Green, Mads Mikkelsen, Jeffrey Wright,
Where to Watch: YouTube
Release Date: 14 November 2006
Earnings: $616.5 million
Ratings: 8/10
24. Quantum Of Solace (2008):
Next is the sequel of Casino Royale, Quantum of Solace. In the film, Bond sets on an investigation and gets a string of details about Dominic Greene. He is a renowned developer of green technology. The latter plays a role in the conspiracy in Bolivia to materialize his plans, and Bond has to save from it.
The film got mixed reviews and praise for Craig’s performance. But the action sequences were not as impressive as the ones in the previous films. Even the title of the film was taken from a 1959 short story by Fleming.
The film received generally mixed reviews, with praise for Craig’s performance and the action sequences but was deemed inferior to its predecessor. The film’s title is borrowed from a 1959 short story by Fleming. In contrast to the previous films, this film took inspiration from the initial Bond film.
Director: Marc Forster
Starring: Daniel Craig, Olga Kurylenko, Mathieu Amalric, Giancarlo Giannini, Jeffrey Wright,
Release Date: 7 November 2008
Earnings: 58.96 crores USD
Ratings: 6.6/10
25. Skyfall (2012):
The next film, Skyfall, received one of the best reviews in the history of the James Bond films Franchise. In the storyline, a former MI6 agent steals a hard drive storing viable secret information to create a quarrel with his supervisor of Bond. So, the latter has to deal with his past to save M.
The film got praise for its direction, cast, performance, action, and music. Also, the film grossed $1 billion worldwide. It became the fourteenth film to do so. The film was supposed to be shot in some scenes in India. But, many reasons, including several conditions by the railway ministry, made them drop the plan.
The film was released in 2012 and got some of the best in the movie franchise’s history.
Director: Sam Mendes
Starring: James Bond, Raoul Silva, M
Where to Watch: Prime Video, Disney+, HBO Max
Release Date: 23 October 2012
Earnings: 110.9 crores USD$1,110,526,981
Ratings: 7.8/10 /10
26. Spectre (2015):
The next film is Spectre, and every James Bond fan knows about the meaning of this title. Bond gets a weird message from M about a criminal organization. So, he takes the help of Madeleine to unravel the plan and face a bad reality.
It got positive reviews for its action, cast, and music. But, critics were unimpressed by its pace and narratives. The film ended up earning $880 million worldwide. It was the sixth-highest-grossing film of 2015. Also, it became the second-highest-grossing James Bond film following Skyfall.
Director: Sam Mendes
Starring: James Bond, Madeleine Swann, Christoph Waltz
Where to Watch: Prime Video, Apple TV, Spectrum TV
Release Date: 20 November 2015
Earnings: $879,077,344
Ratings: 6.8/10
27. No Time To Die (2021):
The last film in James Bond Films until now is No Time to Die. In the film, Bond enjoys his life in Jamaica after leaving service. But he cannot wait for long. His old CIA friend comes and asks for help. The task is to save a kidnapped scientist who is more treacherous than expected. He leads Bond on the trail of a mysterious villain. The villain has his hands on a dangerous new technology.
The film has a funny aspect with unique gadgets and was filmed with beautiful cinematography. Also, it has a thrilling start with a moving end.
Director: Cary Fukunaga
Starring: James Bond, Paloma, Ernst Blofeld
Where to Watch: Amazon Prime Video, Vudu, Apple TV, or Google Play
Release Date: 30 September 2021
Earnings: $774.2 million
Ratings: 7.3/10 IMDb
Conclusion:
If you like to read James Bond Movies, you need to spare some time and relive the classic spy magic. Also, these movies are simple yet exciting to Watch. The thrilling action, unique plot, and suspense have always kept fans on their toes to Watch them. So, there is no surprise that all these films have been major commercial successes.
James Bond films began as a product of the 60s era when spy films were popular. When Sean Connery played Bond for the first time as he was considered an ideal man with unmatched bravery and a ruthless attitude. Every new actor who played the titular role tried to fit into the mold of Connery.
At the same time, they tried to add new elements to the character. There is no doubt that James Bond films shall continue to stay a favorite of every generation, and its classic appeal with continue to make its mark.
This is Karan, a Freelance Entertainment & Tech journalist with over 10 years of experience covering the film and television industry. I have been writing for various publications including Variety, The Hollywood Reporter, and Indiewire and a regular contributor to New Vision Theatres Blog, providing in-depth analysis of Movies, Web Series and interviews with the industry’s top talent.
