Though it is unlikely that he won’t be gracing our screens as Jame Bond anymore, Daniel Craig is most recognized as one of the most iconic actors to take on the role of the MI6 spy. Over his career, he’s worked with big names including Spielberg, Soderbergh, Mendes, and Favreau, and he’s portrayed many roles. Even though he’s known for his restraint, he’s a standout in parts that allow him to really let loose onstage. Here are the top ten Daniel Craig movies he has made in his career.
10. Logan Lucky
credit: Fingerprint Releasing
One of, if not Craig’s best performances, Logan Lucky is Steven Soderbergh’s film in which he plays one of the most hilarious roles ever seen in a movie. Captive southern demolitions specialist Joe Bang is his character in the show. He is asked to join the Logan family in their attempt to rob the Charlotte Motor Speedway.
9. Sharpe’s Eagle
credit: ITV
Sharpe’s Eagle is an adaptation of the same-named 1981 novel into a historical war drama. The narrative centers on the efforts of Captain Richard Sharpe, a British lieutenant-turned-commander in the early 1800s, to redeem the reputation of a disgraced brigade that had its colors captured by the French Empire. Lieutenant Berry, played by Daniel Craig, is one of the antagonists. He is the conceited nephew of a powerful man who has a bias against those with low birth weight. Motivated by envy over Sharpe’s elevation, he plots Sharpe’s death but is himself assassinated by Sergeant Harper.
8. The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo
credit: Sony Pictures
Craig portrays Mikael Blomkvist, a financial reporter, in David Fincher’s film The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, an adaptation of the novel by Stieg Larsson. To help him solve a murder that occurred 40 years ago, he hires the titular Lisbeth Salander, an investigator. It’s frequently cited as both Craig and Fincher’s finest work.
7. Skyfall
credit: Sony Pictures
In Skyfall, Bond looks into an attack on MI6 that turns out to be part of a wider plot by an agent-turned-cyberterrorist named Raoul Silva to discredit and kill the MI6 director in revenge for his abandonment. The novel takes James Bond to exotic locales like Istanbul, Shanghai, and Macau. After a mission in which he was thought to have been killed. However, a terrorist attack on the MI6 building changed his mind. As Bond confronts Silva, we are taken back to the Scottish Highlands, where Bond spent his childhood. The only James Bond film to gross over $1 billion is the highest-earning in the series.
6. Casino Royale
credit: Sony Pictures
In three decades, Casino Royale was the first adaptation of Ian Fleming’s first James Bond novel. In the film, Bond is depicted shortly after he has been issued his signature license to murder. He must square off against the shadowy terrorist financier known as Le Chiffre. The acting of both Craig and Mikkelsen is noteworthy.
5. Spectre
credit: Sony Pictures
To continue the 007 franchise, Spectre was a fantastic continuation that maintained the same spirit as my own favorite Bond film, Skyfall. To be honest, I don’t think you can tell the difference. Blofeld and Mr. Hinx, the two main antagonists, were fantastic. Excellent work portraying a powerful villain by Dave Bautista. Lea Seydoux and Monic Bellucci, among the women, were particularly stunning. I wish Lucia Sciarra had a bigger role.
4. Cowboys And Aliens
credit: Universal Pictures
Similar to Clint Eastwood’s iconic movies, Craig portrays an outlaw who loses his memory and ends up amid the desert. Having a strange device on his wrist, he casually strolls into town. Even though the people first reject him, they quickly rally to his aid when aliens attack the town. Though it did somewhat well at the box office, this picture may deserve a public vote.
3. Munich
credit: Universal Pictures
Steven Spielberg’s Munich is a historical drama film depicting the aftermath of the 1972 Munich Summer Olympics massacre, in which a terrorist gang took 11 Israeli Olympians hostage, and all were slain. The film is based on George Jonas’ 1984 novel Vengeance. Daniel Craig plays Steve, the South African driver, in the movie. The ex-Mossad agent recruited him and three other Jewish volunteers from around the world to help find and eliminate those responsible for the kidnapping of the athletes.
2. No Time To Die
credit: Universal Pictures
No Time to Die, the most recent film in the 007 franchise, marks the end of Daniel Craig’s tenure as the fictional MI6 agent James Bond. Bond is enjoying his retirement in Jamaica after leaving MI6, but he is recruited by the CIA to help find a kidnapped scientist, leading him into a showdown with the lethal Lyutsifer Safin. Technology plays a significant role throughout the film, and nanobots are used extensively in numerous key sequences. Moments after establishing that he has a daughter, Bond meets his fate when missiles strike the island where he faces his foe. Reviews for the film were mostly good, with many saying that it was a fitting conclusion to the franchise Daniel Craig had helped launch.
1. Knives Out
credit: Lionsgate
It’s funny that my favorite Craig movie is not a Bond film. Knives Out is a hilarious read. An expert detective is hired to investigate the death of a wealthy, dysfunctional family patriarch who wrote mystery novels. Alongside Craig, the film features many internationally renowned performers, including Chris Evans, Michael Shannon, Christopher Plummer, and many more. Benoit Blanc, played by Daniel Craig, is a private investigator looking into Harlan Thrombey’s birthday after-death murder. Blanc is often referred to as “The Last of the Gentleman Sleuths” since he represents a classic gentleman detective. He’s flamboyant, sensible, gentlemanly, and a heavy cigar smoker, but he’s also quite intelligent and a competent investigator.
