You can watch the James Bond movies in two main ways: by release order (classic and most popular) or by a more story-focused path that emphasizes the Daniel Craig era as one long arc. Watching by release order is recommended for a first full marathon because you see the evolution of Bond, gadgets, and tone over 60+ years.

Official release order (core 25 films)

Here’s the standard way to watch all the Eon James Bond films in the order they came out. This is the list most fans use when they search “how to watch James Bond movies in order.”

  1. Dr. No (1962) – Sean Connery’s first outing as 007.
  1. From Russia with Love (1963).
  1. Goldfinger (1964).
  1. Thunderball (1965).
  1. You Only Live Twice (1967).
  1. On Her Majesty’s Secret Service (1969) – George Lazenby’s single Bond film.
  1. Diamonds Are Forever (1971) – Connery returns.

Roger Moore era :

8. Live and Let Die (1973).
9. The Man with the Golden Gun (1974).
10. The Spy Who Loved Me (1977).
11. Moonraker (1979).
12. For Your Eyes Only (1981).
13. Octopussy (1983).
14. A View to a Kill (1985). Timothy Dalton era :

15. The Living Daylights (1987).
16. Licence to Kill (1989). Pierce Brosnan era :

17. GoldenEye (1995).
18. Tomorrow Never Dies (1997).
19. The World Is Not Enough (1999).
20. Die Another Day (2002). Daniel Craig era (connected story arc) :

21. Casino Royale (2006).
22. Quantum of Solace (2008).
23. Skyfall (2012).
24. Spectre (2015).
25. No Time to Die (2021). There are two extra, non‑Eon curiosities that some fans slot in as “bonus” rather than part of the official marathon: the spoof Casino Royale (1967) and Never Say Never Again (1983, with Connery returning under a different studio). These are usually watched after you’ve seen at least the early Connery and Moore runs.

A “story-first” Bond watching path

If you want something more like a long TV saga than a museum tour of cinema history, you can focus on arcs that loosely hang together. The Craig films are the only ones that really behave like one continuous storyline, so many modern viewers start there.

Option A: Pure Daniel Craig saga (fast modern entry point)

  1. Casino Royale (2006).
  2. Quantum of Solace (direct follow-up, set immediately after Casino Royale).
  3. Skyfall (digs into Bond’s past).
  4. Spectre (ties together previous Craig villains).
  5. No Time to Die (closes out his arc).

Option B: Evolution of Bond across actors

  • Phase 1 – Classic Cold War vibe: Dr. No → From Russia with Love → Goldfinger.
  • Phase 2 – Big ’70s spectacle: The Spy Who Loved Me → Moonraker.
  • Phase 3 – Grittier edge: The Living Daylights → Licence to Kill.
  • Phase 4 – ’90s tech and post–Cold War: GoldenEye → Tomorrow Never Dies → The World Is Not Enough → Die Another Day.
  • Phase 5 – Grounded “reboot” era: the full Daniel Craig run above.

This approach works well if you don’t want to commit to all 25 movies right away but still want each mini-run to feel coherent.

Where the “oddball” movies fit

There are a couple of titles that confuse people when they search “how to watch James Bond movies in order” because they’re outside the main 25-film Eon list.

  • Casino Royale (1967):
    • A broad, comedic, non‑canonical take on Bond, made by a different studio.
    • If you’re curious, most fans watch it after the early Connery films or after finishing their main marathon, as a side curiosity.
  • Never Say Never Again (1983):
    • An unofficial remake of Thunderball, with Sean Connery returning as an older Bond outside the Eon series.
    • Many fans slot it right after Octopussy (also 1983) for a “dueling Bonds of 1983” mini-event.

These are optional; skipping them won’t break any story continuity in the main run.

A simple mini‑marathon plan for beginners

If watching all 25 at once feels like planning your own MI6 operation, you can break it into themed nights that still honor the idea of “watching in order” without burning out.

Starter pack – 6 movies that map the franchise’s evolution

  1. Dr. No – The origin of the cinematic Bond formula.
  1. Goldfinger – Often cited as the template for the classic Bond mix of gadgets, villain, and style.
  1. On Her Majesty’s Secret Service – A rare, more emotional Bond story.
  1. The Spy Who Loved Me – Peak Roger Moore era spectacle.
  1. GoldenEye – Reinvents Bond for the post–Cold War ’90s.
  1. Casino Royale (2006) – The modern reboot and start of the Craig continuity.

If you enjoy those, you can then fill in the gaps around each era using the full release list above.

Latest news and fan discussions

Because Bond is a long‑running franchise, “how to watch James Bond movies in order” keeps trending every time a new actor is rumored or a new film is teased. Recent commentary points to the next instalment (often referred to informally as “Bond 26”) being in development, but without a confirmed title, plot, or release date yet.

On fan forums and Reddit threads, common debates when people ask about watching order include:

  • Whether to start with the “dated but foundational” Connery films or jump straight to the modern Craig era.
  • Which entries are “skippable” (Moonraker, Die Another Day, or some late Moore films often come up) versus “essential” like Goldfinger, The Spy Who Loved Me, GoldenEye, and Casino Royale (2006).

A recurring fan tip: if you care about story continuity, watch the Craig films in strict order; if you care about Bond’s cultural history, go strictly by release order and enjoy the tonal whiplash as part of the ride.

TL;DR : For a full marathon, watch the 25 official Eon films in release order from Dr. No (1962) to No Time to Die (2021), then treat Casino Royale (1967) and Never Say Never Again (1983) as optional curiosities.