Daniel Craig is one of the most popular British actors of our time. He is perhaps best known for bringing his rugged charisma to the role of James Bond in five films from 2006 to 2021. In addition to playing 007, Craig has starred in a number of dramatic and comedic roles throughout his career that demonstrate his great range and versatility as an actor. Check out all of Daniel Craig’s best movies below, and find out where you can stream them online from the UK!
Skyfall
This Bond film from 2012 makes the top of the list because, while every Bond film has a high-stakes plot, none before or since has packed quite the same emotional punch. This film dismantles the MI6 system as we had known it and forces Bond to confront his own painful past. Daniel Craig masterfully carries the character through the film with all of the swagger we’ve come to know and love from his Bond, but also the raw emotionality of such a character finally facing himself.
Knives Out
If you thought Daniel Craig was a one-trick pony, you’d be proven wrong by Knives Out. This 2019 mystery sees Craig star as Benoit Blanc, a famous detective hired to solve the locked-door murder of bestselling author Harlan Thrombey. Craig puts on an American Southern drawl that somehow works in its over-the-topness — although it must be said that it is an entirely fictitious accent. But Craig’s eccentric, perceptive, and flamboyant portrayal of the character melds the star-studded production into a perfect Agatha Christie-style murder mystery that went on to spawn a franchise.
Queer
This 2024 film from director Luca Guadagnino sees Craig once again masterfully step away from his action-star type casting to play William Lee, a World War II veteran living in Mexico City who becomes infatuated with a younger man while in the throes of his own addictions. This love story sees Craig bring out one of the most vulnerable and tragic performances of his career.
Defiance
In this 2008 war film, Daniel Craig plays Tuvia Bielski who, together with his brother Zus, led a resistance group that saved many Jewish lives in Belarus during the Nazi occupation. Here Craig’s rugged charisma shines through as the leader of the group, fighting against enormous odds in the freezing wintery woods of Belarus.
Casino Royale
In 2006, Daniel Craig stepped into the fitted tux of James Bond for the first time in Casino Royale. This action-packed film brought the 007 back in style and introduced Craig’s iteration of the character as a swaggering, charismatic, and compellingly macho hero — while adding a tone of ironic self-reflection necessary to make Bond still palatable to modern audiences.
Layer Cake
This 2004 action-crime film provided a strong confirmation of Craig's qualification to play James Bond. In Layer Cake, he plays a criminal in London who abides by strong moral principles while playing a vital role in the production and distribution of cocaine. Although he’s looking to leave the business, he is tasked with completing two final tasks that prove much trickier than expected.
Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery
In this 2021 sequel to Knives Out, Craig reprises his role as Detective Benoit Blanc in a Netflix production featuring another all-star cast. Craig once again busts out his over the top antics as the Southern detective while solving a compelling mystery.
Lucky Logan
Steven Soderbergh’s 2017 action-comedy film sees Craig try out a Southern US American accent for the first time. Playing the subtly named explosives expert Joe Bang, Craig delivers one heck of a performance opposite Adam Driver and Channing Tatum. The two play brothers who assemble a team of criminals to help them rob the Charlotte Motor Speedway while evading law enforcement.
Infamous
This 2006 drama focused on the life and career of author Truman Capote who, while writing his book ‘In Cold Blood’ built a complicated relationship with one of the incarcerated killers, Perry Smith. Craig plays the murderer behind bars, portraying him as an intelligent, emotional, and traumatised man whose past experiences led his life to take the darkest of turns.
The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo
In this 2011 David Fincher adaptation of Stieg Larsson’s novel of the same name, Craig plays journalist Mikael Blomkvist, the founder of Millennium magazine who is known for ruthlessly exposing government corruption. Starring opposite Rooney Mara as the tough-as-nails hacker Lisbeth Salander, Craig delivers a steadfast performance as the weight of the mystery the duo are investigating unfolds.
Honorable mentions:
Where to watch the best Daniel Craig movies streaming online
Find out how (and where) to stream the best Daniel Craig movies online by scrolling down to the list below. The films are all available to stream online across a variety of platforms in the United Kingdom, including Amazon Prime Video, Netflix, ITVX and more!
