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Daniel Craig Movies Ranked by Tomatometer

Before he would get to utter the words “Bond, James Bond” to the delight of millions, Daniel Craig built up a durable if not spectacular resume, showing up in a range of films from the first Angelina Jolie Tomb Raider to A Kid In King Arthur’s Court. As the sniveling son of mob boss Paul Newman in Road to Perdition, Craig was able to make an impact with a broad audience in a film that already had plenty for us to look at, including Conrad L. Hall’s rain-drenched cinematography and a rare anti-hero turn from Tom Hanks.

By 2005, Craig was on the cusp of a major breakthrough with a co-starring role in Steven Spielberg’s Munich, and crime flick Layer Cake, essentially a stylish and gritty feature-length audition tape to play Agent 007. The following year, he and GoldenEye director Martin Campbell launched Casino Royale, a rousing and hard-nosed crowdpleaser revealing a James Bond for a new cynical generation. He’s since reprised the role three more times with Quantum of Solace, Skyfall, and Spectre, and when he returns in 2020 with No Time to Die, Craig will have the longest consecutively tenured Bond in film history.

Of course, when you’re James Bond, every non-Bond role you take becomes something of an automatic sensation. Some roles, like Logan Lucky or David Fincher’s The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo really demonstrate Craig’s range. Other films, like Dream House or The Invasion, are spectacular bombs. And the rest, along the lines of Cowboys & Aliens and The Golden Compass, are right in the mushy middle.

We know on which end of the spectrum Craig’s latest film, the Rian Johnson whodunit Knives Out, lands. (Hint: It’s his best-reviewed movie ever.) With No Time To Die‘s April 2020 November 2020 April 2021 October 2021 release now behind us, take a look back as we rank all Daniel Craig movies by Tomatometer! Alex Vo

#1

Knives Out (2019)
97%

#1
Adjusted Score: 122174%
Critics Consensus: Knives Out sharpens old murder-mystery tropes with a keenly assembled suspense outing that makes brilliant use of writer-director Rian Johnson's stellar ensemble.
Synopsis: The circumstances surrounding the death of crime novelist Harlan Thrombey are mysterious, but there's one thing that renowned Detective Benoit... [More]
Directed By: Rian Johnson

#2

Casino Royale (2006)
94%

#2
Adjusted Score: 105166%
Critics Consensus: Casino Royale disposes of the silliness and gadgetry that plagued recent James Bond outings, and Daniel Craig delivers what fans and critics have been waiting for: a caustic, haunted, intense reinvention of 007.
Synopsis: After receiving a license to kill, British Secret Service agent James Bond (Daniel Craig) heads to Madagascar, where he uncovers... [More]
Directed By: Martin Campbell

#3
Adjusted Score: 115330%
Critics Consensus: Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery brings back Benoit Blanc for another wildly entertaining mystery rounded out by an outstanding ensemble cast.
Synopsis: Benoit Blanc returns to peel back the layers in a new Rian Johnson whodunit. This fresh adventure finds the intrepid... [More]
Directed By: Rian Johnson

#4

Skyfall (2012)
92%

#4
Adjusted Score: 111079%
Critics Consensus: Sam Mendes brings Bond surging back with a smart, sexy, riveting action thriller that qualifies as one of the best 007 films to date.
Synopsis: When James Bond's (Daniel Craig) latest assignment goes terribly wrong, it leads to a calamitous turn of events: Undercover agents... [More]
Directed By: Sam Mendes

#5

Logan Lucky (2017)
92%

#5
Adjusted Score: 107825%
Critics Consensus: High-octane fun that's smartly assembled without putting on airs, Logan Lucky marks a welcome end to Steven Soderbergh's retirement -- and proves he hasn't lost his ability to entertain.
Synopsis: West Virginia family man Jimmy Logan teams up with his one-armed brother Clyde and sister Mellie to steal money from... [More]
Directed By: Steven Soderbergh

#6
Adjusted Score: 96405%
Critics Consensus: Brutal yet captivating, The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo is the result of David Fincher working at his lurid best with total role commitment from star Rooney Mara.
Synopsis: Disgraced financial reporter Mikael Blomkvist (Daniel Craig) finds a chance to redeem his honor after being hired by wealthy Swedish... [More]
Directed By: David Fincher

#7

No Time to Die (2021)
83%

#7
Adjusted Score: 105074%
Critics Consensus: It isn't the sleekest or most daring 007 adventure, but No Time to Die concludes Daniel Craig's franchise tenure in satisfying style.
Synopsis: In No Time To Die, Bond has left active service and is enjoying a tranquil life in Jamaica. His peace... [More]
Directed By: Cary Joji Fukunaga

#8
#8
Adjusted Score: 88242%
Critics Consensus: Somber, stately, and beautifully mounted, Sam Mendes' Road to Perdition is a well-crafted mob movie that explores the ties between fathers and sons.
Synopsis: Mike Sullivan (Tom Hanks) is an enforcer for powerful Depression-era Midwestern mobster John Rooney (Paul Newman). Rooney's son, Connor (Daniel... [More]
Directed By: Sam Mendes

#9

Layer Cake (2004)
81%

#9
Adjusted Score: 85318%
Critics Consensus: A stylized, electric British crime thriller.
Synopsis: An unnamed mid-level cocaine dealer (Daniel Craig) in London makes plans to step away from the criminal life. Before he... [More]
Directed By: Matthew Vaughn

#10

Munich (2005)
78%

#10
Adjusted Score: 85658%
Critics Consensus: Munich can't quite achieve its lofty goals, but this thrilling, politically even-handed look at the fallout from an intractable political conflict is still well worth watching.
Synopsis: After the murder of 11 Israeli athletes and their coach at the 1972 Olympics, the Israeli government secretly assigns Avner... [More]
Directed By: Steven Spielberg

#11

The Mother (2003)
78%

#11
Adjusted Score: 80589%
Critics Consensus: Reid gives a fearless, realistic performance in depicting an older woman's sexual blossoming.
Synopsis: May (Anne Reid) is a middle-aged grandmother who lives in Northern England with her husband, Toots (Peter Vaughan). When Toots... [More]
Directed By: Roger Michell

#12
#12
Adjusted Score: 84392%
Critics Consensus: Drawing deep from the classic Raiders of the Lost Ark playbook, Steven Spielberg has crafted another spirited, thrilling adventure in the form of Tintin.
Synopsis: While shopping at an outdoor market, young reporter Tintin (Jamie Bell), accompanied by his faithful dog, Snowy, buys a model... [More]
Directed By: Steven Spielberg

#13

Infamous (2006)
74%

#13
Adjusted Score: 80037%
Critics Consensus: Though comparisons with last year's Capote may be inevitable, Infamous takes a different angle in its depiction of the author, and stands up well enough on its own.
Synopsis: In Kansas, with childhood friend Harper Lee (Sandra Bullock), author Truman Capote (Toby Jones) developed an intense and complex relationship... [More]
Directed By: Douglas McGrath

#14
#14
Adjusted Score: 76499%
Critics Consensus: Brutal and breathless, Quantum Of Solace delivers tender emotions along with frenetic action, but coming on the heels of Casino Royale, it's still a bit of a disappointment.
Synopsis: Following the death of Vesper Lynd, James Bond (Daniel Craig) makes his next mission personal. The hunt for those who... [More]
Directed By: Marc Forster

#15

Spectre (2015)
63%

#15
Adjusted Score: 81308%
Critics Consensus: Spectre nudges Daniel Craig's rebooted Bond closer to the glorious, action-driven spectacle of earlier entries, although it's admittedly reliant on established 007 formula.
Synopsis: A cryptic message from the past leads James Bond (Daniel Craig) to Mexico City and Rome, where he meets the... [More]
Directed By: Sam Mendes

#16

Defiance (2008)
59%

#16
Adjusted Score: 66448%
Critics Consensus: Professionally made but artistically uninspired, Ed Zwick's story of Jews surviving WWII in the Belarus forest lacks the emotional punch of the actual history.
Synopsis: In 1941, Nazi soldiers are slaughtering Eastern European Jews by the thousands. Three brothers, Tuvia (Daniel Craig), Zus (Liev Schreiber)... [More]
Directed By: Edward Zwick

#17

Enduring Love (2004)
59%

#17
Adjusted Score: 61707%
Critics Consensus: While it strains credibility and isn't ultimately as profound as it might first appear, Enduring Love is still an intriguing thriller fueled by strong performances from Rhys Ifans and Daniel Craig.
Synopsis: A man (Rhys Ifans) obsesses over a science professor (Daniel Craig) who helped him save a boy in a runaway... [More]
Directed By: Roger Michell

#18

Renaissance (2006)
50%

#18
Adjusted Score: 52541%
Critics Consensus: Renaissance attempts to blend sci-fi wonder with stark noir animation, but is often more fun to look at than to watch.
Synopsis: Avalon Corp., a purveyor of eternal youth and beauty, worms its way into every facet of life in 2054 Paris,... [More]
Directed By: Christian Volckman

#19

Cowboys & Aliens (2011)
44%

#19
Adjusted Score: 54405%
Critics Consensus: Daniel Craig and Harrison Ford are as dependably appealing as ever, but they're let down by director Jon Favreau's inability to smooth Cowboys & Aliens' jarring tonal shifts.
Synopsis: Bearing a mysterious metal shackle on his wrist, an amnesiac gunslinger (Daniel Craig) wanders into a frontier town called Absolution.... [More]
Directed By: Jon Favreau

#20

The Jacket (2005)
44%

#20
Adjusted Score: 49743%
Critics Consensus: The Jacket is a case of creepy style over substance.
Synopsis: Amnesiac Gulf War veteran Jack Starks (Adrien Brody) can't explain why he's been found at the scene of a murder.... [More]
Directed By: John Maybury

#21
#21
Adjusted Score: 49645%
Critics Consensus: Without the bite or the controversy of the source material, The Golden Compass is reduced to impressive visuals overcompensating for lax storytelling.
Synopsis: Lyra Belacqua (Dakota Blue Richards) lives in a parallel world in which human souls take the form of lifelong animal... [More]
Directed By: Chris Weitz

#22

Some Voices (2000)
40%

#22
Adjusted Score: 9042%
Critics Consensus: No consensus yet.
Synopsis: A restaurant owner (David Morrissey) cares for a brother (Daniel Craig) whose mental stability continues to decline.... [More]
Directed By: Simon Cellan Jones

#23

The Power of One (1992)
39%

#23
Adjusted Score: 39814%
Critics Consensus: No consensus yet.
Synopsis: It's the 1930s, and as the people he cares for die or leave his village, young South African P.K. bonds... [More]
Directed By: John G. Avildsen

#24
#24
Adjusted Score: 40321%
Critics Consensus: Despite Daniel Craig's earnest efforts, Flashbacks of a Fool suffers from an ambitious but underdeveloped script.
Synopsis: When washed-up British actor and drug addict Joe Scott (Daniel Craig) learns that his best friend, Boots (Max Deacon), has... [More]
Directed By: Baillie Walsh

#25

Sylvia (2003)
37%

#25
Adjusted Score: 41245%
Critics Consensus: This biopic about Sylvia Plath doesn't rise above the level of highbrow melodrama.
Synopsis: Young Sylvia Plath (Gwyneth Paltrow) dreams of becoming an important writer. Her childhood is scarred by the unexpected loss of... [More]
Directed By: Christine Jeffs

#26
#26
Adjusted Score: 25652%
Critics Consensus: Angelina Jolie is perfect for the role of Lara Croft, but even she can't save the movie from a senseless plot and action sequences with no emotional impact.
Synopsis: This live action feature is inspired by the most successful interactive video-game character in history -- Lara Croft. Beautiful and... [More]
Directed By: Simon West

#27

The Invasion (2007)
20%

#27
Adjusted Score: 26234%
Critics Consensus: The Invasion is slickly made, but it lacks psychological insight and thrills.
Synopsis: Washington, D.C. psychologist Carol Bennell (Nicole Kidman) and her colleague Dr. Ben Driscoll (Daniel Craig) are the only two people... [More]
Directed By: Oliver Hirschbiegel

#28

Kings (2017)
13%

#28
Adjusted Score: 14330%
Critics Consensus: Kings has good intentions, a talented cast, and the basis for an incredible fact-based story; unfortunately, they don't amount to much more than a missed opportunity.
Synopsis: Millie is a hardworking, tough and protective Los Angeles single mother with an affection for homeless children. Her neighbor Obie... [More]
Directed By: Deniz Gamze Ergüven

#29
#29
Adjusted Score: 13612%
Critics Consensus: The straightforward retelling of Kuki Gallman's life in Africa neither moves or entertains the viewer.
Synopsis: Inspired by the true story of indomitable Kuki Gallmann, the film tells of a beautiful and inquisitive woman who had... [More]
Directed By: Hugh Hudson

#30

Dream House (2011)
7%

#30
Adjusted Score: 9963%
Critics Consensus: Dream House is punishingly slow, stuffy, and way too obvious to be scary.
Synopsis: Publisher Will Atenton (Daniel Craig) quits a lucrative job in New York to relocate his wife, Libby (Rachel Weisz), and... [More]
Directed By: Jim Sheridan

#31
Adjusted Score: 5859%
Critics Consensus: Disappointing even by the relaxed standards of live-action children's entertainment, A Kid in King Arthur's Court stands as a rare near-total misfire from Disney.
Synopsis: When a violent earthquake rocks Southern California, hapless teenager Calvin Fuller (Thomas Ian Nicholas) finds himself careening through a hole... [More]
Directed By: Michael Gottlieb