Watch order guide · James Bond

How to watch the James Bond movies in order

Updated October 21, 2026 · 20 min read · 27 titles · 58 hours

James Bond can be watched in release order from Dr. No (1962), but only the Daniel Craig era is one continuous story: Casino Royale (2006) through No Time to Die (2021) should be watched in order. The earlier films are mostly standalone, so any actor's era is a fine starting point.

Titles

27

Films

27

Watch time

58 hours

Box office

$7.85 billion

Avg IMDb

6.7

James Bond movies in release order

Here is every James Bond (007) title in the order it came out, 1962 to 2021: 27 films. Optional entries are marked; you can skip them on a first watch.

James Bond timeline: movies in chronological order

The same titles in story order, by when they take place, with the year or era each one is set in.

Release or chronological: which order is best?

Release order and story order disagree on 23 titles here. In release order you start with Dr. No (1962); in story order you start with Dr. No, set in 1962.

First time through, watch in release order. That is how the twists, returning characters and callbacks were built to land, and later entries assume you have seen the earlier ones. On a rewatch, try story order. It turns James Bond into one continuous story and makes the prequels play as setup instead of backstory.

James Bond also runs 2 separate continuities: The Craig era and Outside the Eon films. Each has its own line on the timeline, so you can watch them on their own without breaking the main story.

Where to start

Every James Bond movie, explained

One entry per title in release order: what it is about, why it matters to the bigger story, who is in it and how it did.

No. 01 · 1962 · Film · 1h 50m

Dr. No

Agent 007 battles mysterious Dr. No, a scientific genius bent on destroying the U.S. space program. As the countdown to disaster begins, Bond must go to Jamaica, where he encounters beautiful Honey Ryder, to confront a megalomaniacal villain in his massive island headquarters.

Why it matters: Sean Connery's first Bond, 1962.

Starring

Sean Connery, Ursula Andress, and Joseph Wiseman

Director

Terence Young

Box office

$59 million on a $1 million budget

Scores

IMDb 7.2 · Rotten Tomatoes 95%

No. 02 · 1963 · Film · 1h 55m

From Russia with Love

Agent 007 is back in the second installment of the James Bond series, this time battling a secret crime organization known as SPECTRE. Russians Rosa Klebb and Kronsteen are out to snatch a decoding device known as the Lektor, using the ravishing Tatiana to lure Bond into helping them. Bond willingly travels to meet Tatiana in Istanbul, where he must rely on his wits to escape with his life in a series of deadly encounters with the enemy.

Why it matters: Introduces SPECTRE's Blofeld in shadow.

Starring

Sean Connery, Daniela Bianchi, and Pedro Armendáriz

Director

Terence Young

Box office

$79 million on a $2 million budget

Scores

IMDb 7.3 · Rotten Tomatoes 97%

No. 03 · 1964 · Film · 1h 50m

Goldfinger

Special agent 007 comes face to face with one of the most notorious villains of all time, and now he must outwit and outgun the powerful tycoon to prevent him from cashing in on a devious scheme to raid Fort Knox -- and obliterate the world's economy.

Why it matters: The template for every Bond film after it.

Starring

Sean Connery, Gert Fröbe, and Honor Blackman

Director

Guy Hamilton

Box office

$125 million on a $3 million budget

Scores

IMDb 7 · Rotten Tomatoes 99%

No. 04 · 1965 · Film · 2h 10m

Thunderball

A criminal organization has obtained two nuclear bombs and are asking for a 100 million pound ransom in the form of diamonds in seven days or they will use the weapons. The secret service sends James Bond to the Bahamas to once again save the world.

Why it matters: SPECTRE steals two atomic bombs.

Starring

Sean Connery, Claudine Auger, and Adolfo Celi

Director

Terence Young

Box office

$141 million on a $9 million budget

Scores

IMDb 6.9 · Rotten Tomatoes 85%

No. 05 · 1967 · Film · 2h 11m · 26th in story order · optional

Casino Royale

Sir James Bond is called back out of retirement to stop SMERSH. In order to trick SMERSH, James thinks up the ultimate plan - that every agent will be named 'James Bond'. One of the Bonds, whose real name is Evelyn Tremble is sent to take on Le Chiffre in a game of baccarat, but all the Bonds get more than they can handle.

Why it matters: A spy-comedy spoof, outside the official series; optional.

Starring

Peter Sellers, Ursula Andress, and David Niven

Director

Joseph McGrath, Robert Parrish, Ken Hughes, John Huston, and Val Guest

Box office

$42 million on a $12 million budget

Scores

IMDb 5 · Rotten Tomatoes 26%

No. 06 · 1967 · Film · 1h 57m · 5th in story order

You Only Live Twice

A mysterious spacecraft captures Russian and American space capsules and brings the two superpowers to the brink of war. James Bond investigates the case in Japan and comes face to face with his archenemy Blofeld.

Why it matters: Blofeld's face is finally seen.

Starring

Sean Connery, Akiko Wakabayashi, and Mie Hama

Director

Lewis Gilbert

Box office

$112 million on a $10 million budget

Scores

IMDb 6.8 · Rotten Tomatoes 73%

No. 07 · 1969 · Film · 2h 22m · 6th in story order

On Her Majesty's Secret Service

With the help of Marc-Ange Draco, head of the Unione Corse crime syndicate, and Draco's troubled daughter Tracy, James Bond tracks his archnemesis, Ernst Stravro Blofeld, to a mountaintop retreat in the Swiss Alps, where he is training an army of beautiful, lethal women.

Why it matters: George Lazenby's only Bond; its ending matters to later films.

Starring

George Lazenby, Diana Rigg, and Telly Savalas

Director

Peter R. Hunt

Box office

$82 million on a $7 million budget

Scores

IMDb 6.7 · Rotten Tomatoes 81%

No. 08 · 1971 · Film · 2h · 7th in story order

Diamonds Are Forever

Diamonds are stolen only to be sold again in the international market. James Bond infiltrates a smuggling mission to find out who's guilty. The mission takes him to Las Vegas where Bond meets his archenemy Blofeld.

Why it matters: Connery returns for revenge on Blofeld.

Starring

Sean Connery, Jill St. John, and Charles Gray

Director

Guy Hamilton

Box office

$116 million on a $7 million budget

Scores

IMDb 6.5 · Rotten Tomatoes 64%

No. 09 · 1973 · Film · 2h 1m · 8th in story order

Live and Let Die

James Bond must investigate a mysterious murder case of a British agent in New Orleans. Soon he finds himself up against a gangster boss named Mr. Big.

Why it matters: Roger Moore's first Bond.

Starring

Roger Moore, Yaphet Kotto, and Jane Seymour

Director

Guy Hamilton

Box office

$126 million on a $7 million budget

Scores

IMDb 6.7 · Rotten Tomatoes 67%

No. 10 · 1974 · Film · 2h 5m · 9th in story order

The Man with the Golden Gun

Cool government operative James Bond searches for a stolen invention that can turn the sun's heat into a destructive weapon. He soon crosses paths with the menacing Francisco Scaramanga, a hitman so skilled he has a seven-figure working fee. Bond then joins forces with the swimsuit-clad Mary Goodnight, and together they track Scaramanga to a Thai tropical isle hideout where the killer-for-hire lures the slick spy into a deadly maze for a final duel.

Why it matters: Christopher Lee as Scaramanga.

Starring

Roger Moore, Christopher Lee, and Britt Ekland

Director

Guy Hamilton

Box office

$98 million on a $7 million budget

Scores

IMDb 6.7 · Rotten Tomatoes 40%

No. 11 · 1977 · Film · 2h 5m · 10th in story order

The Spy Who Loved Me

Russian and British submarines with nuclear missiles on board both vanish from sight without a trace. England and Russia both blame each other as James Bond tries to solve the riddle of the disappearing ships. But the KGB also has an agent on the case.

Why it matters: Often called Moore's best.

Starring

Roger Moore, Barbara Bach, and Curd Jürgens

Director

Lewis Gilbert

Box office

$185 million on a $14 million budget

Scores

IMDb 7 · Rotten Tomatoes 82%

No. 12 · 1979 · Film · 2h 6m · 11th in story order

Moonraker

After Drax Industries' Moonraker space shuttle is hijacked, secret agent James Bond is assigned to investigate, traveling to California to meet the company's owner, the mysterious Hugo Drax. With the help of scientist Dr. Holly Goodhead, Bond soon uncovers Drax's nefarious plans for humanity, all the while fending off an old nemesis, Jaws, and venturing to Venice, Rio, the Amazon...and even outer space.

Why it matters: Bond in space.

Starring

Roger Moore, Lois Chiles, and Michael Lonsdale

Director

Lewis Gilbert

Box office

$210 million on a $34 million budget

Scores

IMDb 6.3 · Rotten Tomatoes 59%

No. 13 · 1981 · Film · 2h 8m · 12th in story order

For Your Eyes Only

A British spy ship has sunk and on board was a hi-tech encryption device. James Bond is sent to find the device that holds British launching instructions before the enemy Soviets get to it first.

Why it matters: A grounded Moore entry.

Starring

Roger Moore, Carole Bouquet, and Chaim Topol

Director

John Glen

Box office

$195 million on a $28 million budget

Scores

IMDb 6.7 · Rotten Tomatoes 69%

No. 14 · 1983 · Film · 2h 11m · 13th in story order

Octopussy

James Bond is sent to investigate after a fellow “00” agent is found dead with a priceless Fabergé egg. Bond follows the mystery and uncovers a smuggling scandal and a Russian General who wants to provoke a new World War.

Why it matters: Moore in India.

Starring

Roger Moore, Maud Adams, and Louis Jourdan

Director

John Glen

Box office

$188 million on a $28 million budget

Scores

IMDb 6.5 · Rotten Tomatoes 41%

No. 15 · 1983 · Film · 2h 14m · 27th in story order · optional

Never Say Never Again

James Bond returns as the secret agent 007 to battle the evil organization SPECTRE. Bond must defeat Largo, who has stolen two atomic warheads for nuclear blackmail. But Bond has an ally in Largo's girlfriend, the willowy Domino, who falls for Bond and seeks revenge.

Why it matters: Connery's unofficial Thunderball remake; optional.

Starring

Sean Connery, Klaus Maria Brandauer, and Max von Sydow

Director

Irvin Kershner

Box office

$160 million on a $36 million budget

Scores

IMDb 6.1 · Rotten Tomatoes 71%

No. 16 · 1985 · Film · 2h 11m · 14th in story order

A View to a Kill

A newly-developed microchip designed by Zorin Industries for the British Government that can survive the electromagnetic radiation caused by a nuclear explosion has landed in the hands of the KGB. James Bond must find out how and why. His suspicions soon lead him to big industry leader Max Zorin who forms a plan to destroy his only competition in Silicon Valley by triggering a massive earthquake in the San Francisco Bay.

Why it matters: Moore's last Bond.

Starring

Roger Moore, Tanya Roberts, and Christopher Walken

Director

John Glen

Box office

$152 million on a $30 million budget

Scores

IMDb 6.3 · Rotten Tomatoes 36%

No. 17 · 1987 · Film · 2h 10m · 15th in story order

The Living Daylights

After a defecting Russian general reveals a plot to assassinate foreign spies, James Bond is assigned a secret mission to dispatch the new head of the KGB to prevent an escalation of tensions between the Soviet Union and the West.

Why it matters: Timothy Dalton's first Bond.

Starring

Timothy Dalton, Maryam D'Abo, and Joe Don Baker

Director

John Glen

Box office

$191 million on a $40 million budget

Scores

IMDb 6.7 · Rotten Tomatoes 75%

No. 18 · 1989 · Film · 2h 13m · 16th in story order

Licence to Kill

After capturing the notorious drug lord Franz Sanchez, Bond's close friend and former CIA agent Felix Leiter is left for dead and his wife is murdered. Bond goes rogue and seeks vengeance on those responsible, as he infiltrates Sanchez's organization from the inside.

Why it matters: Dalton's darker revenge story.

Starring

Timothy Dalton, Carey Lowell, and Robert Davi

Director

John Glen

Box office

$156 million on a $32 million budget

Scores

IMDb 6.7 · Rotten Tomatoes 79%

No. 19 · 1995 · Film · 2h 10m · 17th in story order

GoldenEye

When a powerful secret defense system is stolen, James Bond is assigned to stop a Russian crime syndicate from using it.

Why it matters: Pierce Brosnan's first Bond and Judi Dench's M.

Starring

Pierce Brosnan, Sean Bean, and Izabella Scorupco

Director

Martin Campbell

Box office

$352 million on a $60 million budget

Scores

IMDb 7.2 · Rotten Tomatoes 81%

No. 20 · 1997 · Film · 1h 59m · 18th in story order

Tomorrow Never Dies

A deranged media mogul is staging international incidents to pit the world's superpowers against each other. Now James Bond must take on this evil mastermind in an adrenaline-charged battle to end his reign of terror and prevent global pandemonium.

Why it matters: Brosnan versus a media mogul.

Starring

Pierce Brosnan, Jonathan Pryce, and Michelle Yeoh

Director

Roger Spottiswoode

Box office

$333 million on a $110 million budget

Scores

IMDb 6.5 · Rotten Tomatoes 58%

No. 21 · 1999 · Film · 2h 8m · 19th in story order

The World Is Not Enough

Greed, revenge, world dominance and high-tech terrorism – it's all in a day's work for Bond, who's on a mission to protect a beautiful oil heiress from a notorious terrorist. In a race against time that culminates in a dramatic submarine showdown, Bond works to defuse the international power struggle that has the world's oil supply hanging in the balance.

Why it matters: Brosnan's third.

Starring

Pierce Brosnan, Sophie Marceau, and Robert Carlyle

Director

Michael Apted

Box office

$362 million on a $135 million budget

Scores

IMDb 6.4 · Rotten Tomatoes 51%

No. 22 · 2002 · Film · 2h 13m · 20th in story order

Die Another Day

James Bond is sent to investigate the connection between a North Korean terrorist and a diamond mogul, who is funding the development of an international space weapon.

Why it matters: Brosnan's last Bond.

Starring

Pierce Brosnan, Halle Berry, and Toby Stephens

Director

Lee Tamahori

Box office

$432 million on a $142 million budget

Scores

IMDb 6.1 · Rotten Tomatoes 55%

No. 23 · 2006 · Film · 2h 24m · 21st in story order

Casino Royale

Le Chiffre, a banker to the world's terrorists, is scheduled to participate in a high-stakes poker game in Montenegro, where he intends to use his winnings to establish his financial grip on the terrorist market. M sends Bond—on his maiden mission as a 00 Agent—to attend this game and prevent Le Chiffre from winning. With the help of Vesper Lynd and Felix Leiter, Bond enters the most important poker game in his already dangerous career.

Why it matters: Daniel Craig reboots Bond; starts the one continuous Bond story.

Starring

Daniel Craig, Eva Green, and Mads Mikkelsen

Director

Martin Campbell

Box office

$599 million on a $150 million budget

Scores

IMDb 8 · Rotten Tomatoes 94%

No. 24 · 2008 · Film · 1h 46m · 22nd in story order

Quantum of Solace

Betrayed by Vesper, the woman he loved, 007 fights the urge to make his latest mission personal. Pursuing his determination to uncover the truth, Bond and M interrogate Mr. White, who reveals that the organization that blackmailed Vesper is far more complex and dangerous than anyone had imagined.

Why it matters: Picks up an hour after Casino Royale.

Starring

Daniel Craig, Olga Kurylenko, and Mathieu Amalric

Director

Marc Forster

Box office

$590 million on a $200 million budget

Scores

IMDb 6.5 · Rotten Tomatoes 63%

No. 25 · 2012 · Film · 2h 23m · 23rd in story order

Skyfall

When Bond's latest assignment goes gravely wrong, agents around the world are exposed and MI6 headquarters is attacked. While M faces challenges to her authority and position from Gareth Mallory, the new Chairman of the Intelligence and Security Committee, it's up to Bond, aided only by field agent Eve, to locate the mastermind behind the attack.

Why it matters: M's past catches up with her.

Starring

Daniel Craig, Judi Dench, and Javier Bardem

Director

Sam Mendes

Box office

$1.11 billion on a $200 million budget

Scores

IMDb 7.8 · Rotten Tomatoes 92%

No. 26 · 2015 · Film · 2h 28m · 24th in story order

Spectre

A cryptic message from Bond’s past sends him on a trail to uncover a sinister organization. While M battles political forces to keep the secret service alive, Bond peels back the layers of deceit to reveal the terrible truth behind SPECTRE.

Why it matters: Ties the Craig films together under Blofeld.

Starring

Daniel Craig, Christoph Waltz, and Léa Seydoux

Director

Sam Mendes

Box office

$881 million on a $245 million budget

Scores

IMDb 6.8 · Rotten Tomatoes 63%

No. 27 · 2021 · Film · 2h 43m · 25th in story order

No Time to Die

Bond has left active service and is enjoying a tranquil life in Jamaica. His peace is short-lived when his old friend Felix Leiter from the CIA turns up asking for help. The mission to rescue a kidnapped scientist turns out to be far more treacherous than expected, leading Bond onto the trail of a mysterious villain armed with dangerous new technology.

Why it matters: Ends Craig's Bond and the continuous story.

Starring

Daniel Craig, Léa Seydoux, and Rami Malek

Director

Cary Joji Fukunaga

Box office

$774 million on a $250 million budget

Scores

IMDb 7.3 · Rotten Tomatoes 83%

James Bond box office and budgets

The 27 James Bond films with reported numbers have grossed $7.85 billion worldwide on about $1.80 billion in combined budgets, roughly 4.4 times what they cost. The biggest is Skyfall at $1.11 billion, 14% of the franchise's total on its own, followed by Spectre ($881 million) and No Time to Die ($774 million).

Measured against what it cost, the best return belongs to Dr. No, which made 59 times its $1 million budget. The weakest was The World Is Not Enough at 2.7 times its $135 million budget. As a rule of thumb, a film needs about two and a half times its budget at the box office to cover marketing and the theaters' cut.

The best and worst rated James Bond movies

Across 27 rated titles, James Bond averages 6.7 on IMDb. The top of the list is Casino Royale at 8, then Skyfall (7.8) and From Russia with Love (7.3). At the bottom: Casino Royale (5) and Die Another Day (6.1).

1. Casino Royale8 · RT 94%
2. Skyfall7.8 · RT 92%
3. From Russia with Love7.3 · RT 97%
4. No Time to Die7.3 · RT 83%
5. Dr. No7.2 · RT 95%
6. GoldenEye7.2 · RT 81%
7. Goldfinger7 · RT 99%
8. The Spy Who Loved Me7 · RT 82%
9. Thunderball6.9 · RT 85%
10. You Only Live Twice6.8 · RT 73%

Who appears in the most James Bond movies

Desmond Llewelyn leads with 14 appearances as Q, ahead of Bernard Lee (11) and Lois Maxwell (11). Counted from each title's top-billed cast.

James Bond directors and creators

18 filmmakers have directed or created James Bond; John Glen has the most, with 5.

• John GlenFor Your Eyes Only (1981), Octopussy (1983), A View to a Kill (1985), The Living Daylights (1987), and Licence to Kill (1989)
• Guy HamiltonGoldfinger (1964), Diamonds Are Forever (1971), Live and Let Die (1973), and The Man with the Golden Gun (1974)
• Terence YoungDr. No (1962), From Russia with Love (1963), and Thunderball (1965)
• Lewis GilbertYou Only Live Twice (1967), The Spy Who Loved Me (1977), and Moonraker (1979)
• Martin CampbellGoldenEye (1995) and Casino Royale (2006)
• Sam MendesSkyfall (2012) and Spectre (2015)
• Joseph McGrathCasino Royale (1967)
• Robert ParrishCasino Royale (1967)
• Ken HughesCasino Royale (1967)
• John HustonCasino Royale (1967)
• Val GuestCasino Royale (1967)
• Peter R. HuntOn Her Majesty's Secret Service (1969)
• Irvin KershnerNever Say Never Again (1983)
• Roger SpottiswoodeTomorrow Never Dies (1997)
• Michael AptedThe World Is Not Enough (1999)
• Lee TamahoriDie Another Day (2002)

How long it takes to watch every James Bond movie

All 27 titles add up to 58 hours. That is about 29 two-hour evenings, or 6 days of ten-hour binges. The essentials cut it to 53 hours. The longest film is No Time to Die at 2h 43m.

Which James Bond movies can you skip?

2 titles can go without losing the main story. They are side stories, spin-offs or entries the later films ignore. Dropping them saves 4 hours.

• Casino Royale1967 · Film · 2h 11m · optionalA spy-comedy spoof, outside the official series; optional.
• Never Say Never Again1983 · Film · 2h 14m · optionalConnery's unofficial Thunderball remake; optional.

Upcoming James Bond movies

• Untitled James Bond FilmDate to be announced

Common questions

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