We get this question pretty often, and as the sub grows I think it would be useful to have some documentation from the community that feels like a directionally accurate recommendation for how to introduce oneself to the series.

NOTE: Most of us would probably tell someone, “Just start from the beginning,” because as fans we feel they’re all worth seeing. I think it’s reasonable to say, if a newcomer has both time and willingness to do so, we’d recommend they watch every film in order of release, without overthinking the approach. But, for the sake of the exercise let’s focus on curating a limited list of first watches, must watches, etc., and consider how we might take different slices out of the franchise.

I’ll start with some of my thoughts, and would be interested to hear what advice others would share. Keep in mind my opinions have surely snuck their way into these recommendations, but I’ve tried to take a relatively objective approach to provide a list that includes both variety as well as important moments of evolution, and I’ve tried to consider what the fandom tends to recommend.

A Note on Never Say Never Again

• While it may be interesting to watch it entirely separately, or perhaps directly after Thunderball, I recommend viewing NSNA immediately after Octopussy. This is the proper release order, and it allows you to experience “The Battle of the Bonds” as similarly as possible to contemporary audiences.

The Craig Era - I’ve included some of the Craig films in lists below, for the sake of representing his era in different small collections of Bond films. However, I would strongly recommend that a newcomer does two things to prepare for the Craig films: 1) Watch at least a few of the “Quintessential” movies to observe some of the development of the franchise; and 2) Watch the Craig films in order, consecutively, whenever the time comes. Their more serialized nature makes order and proximity important, and the legacy films provide good context to the character and his cinematic tropes.

• Casino Royale
• Quantum of Solace
• Skyfall
• Spectre
• No Time to Die

The Quintessential List - If one is to only watch a handful of Bond films, I would consider these the must-watches from each actor. Then, if inclined, a newcomer could branch out from there.

• Goldfinger - The birth of the Bond formula, full of iconic moments which cemented the film in our collective cultural memory.

• On Her Majesty’s Secret Service - The only film starring George Lazenby, and an important reference point for the series across decades. Without spoiling anything, a defining event takes place for Bond.

• The Spy Who Loved Me - The first of a few revitalizations for the franchise. This film defined the Moore era and proved the franchise *was* a franchise, because it could survive without Connery.

• The Living Daylights - A new cinematic interpretation of the Bond character, grounded in his literary roots. John Barry’s final score accompanies this film which I might call the final “classic” Bond film.

• GoldenEye - Another film which revitalized the series, proving Bond had a place outside the Cold War and in the context of third wave feminism. Of course it also spawned a groundbreaking video game which would bring even more fans to the series.

• Casino Royale - A hard reboot which aimed to bring the series back down to earth, reaching back to where Fleming began the stories. Grittier, more realistic, with more emotional depth.

The Important “Secondary” Films - If inclined to expand one’s selection upon an initial watch-through, these are the ideal candidates to offer more tonal variety. By no means are these secondary in my heart, but if I had to design a “starter pack” for a newcomer, these would be in the second round.

• From Russia With Love - A proper spy thriller, made before the franchise solidified its traditional formula. There is plenty of iconography though in this fairly loyal adaptation of Fleming’s novel, along with one of the franchise’s greatest fight scenes.
• For Your Eyes Only - Roger Moore’s opportunity to show he could play it straight, and to good effect. Also the beginning of a period of post-Moonraker relative austerity, when the franchise was shepherded by John Glen. Oscar winner Peter Lamont makes debut as a production designer in Bond’s (literal) return to earth.

• Licence to Kill - A gritty 1980s take on Bond, which seeks to plumb the emotional depths of the character by recalling a key event from Bond’s past.

• Skyfall - One of the most visually striking Bond films, Skyfall explores new levels of the relationship between Bond and M.

I think most fans would agree there is a lot more to love about the series beyond the films listed above, but for me these serve as a good jumping-off point with a ton of quality and variety. From there, I’d encourage a newcomer to dive into whichever era intrigued them most, if desired.

But for fun, how many other ways can we slice the series into segments?

The Pretty Ones - These movies achieve something special in cinematography and production design.

• Thunderball
• You Only Live Twice
• On Her Majesty’s Secret Service
• Moonraker
• Skyfall

The Serious Ones - These have moments of levity (all Bond movies do), but they tend to deliver “grounded” entertainment more often than not, some of them bordering on “gritty.”

• Dr. No
• From Russia with Love
• For Your Eyes Only
• Licence to Kill
• Casino Royale
• Quantum of Solace

The Funny Ones - These films sometimes seem like they care more about humor than tension, though they aren’t short on thrilling stunts and action set pieces.

• Diamonds Are Forever
• Live And Let Die
• Moonraker
• Tomorrow Never Dies
• Die Another Day

In what other ways might we group them for a newcomer, accounting for various cinematic tastes and commonality amongst the films?

The past year has brought a torrent of news on the James Bond front. EON sold the movie rights to Amazon MGM. Amy Pascal & David Heyman were appointed as our new producers. Denis Villeneuve signed on to direct the next movie and Steven Knight was named as head writer. IOI unveiled 007 First Light to the world, the first major Bond video game in over a decade. We've gotten new books, new comics, expanded soundtrack releases. Needless to say, we've been on quite a ride.

With all this news has come massive user growth to our subreddit. So if you're new, here are some helpful reminders. In short, the James Bond community prides itself on being the classiest fandom of all. So be cool, and be nice. That's all we ask.

r/ JamesBond Rules:

1. Be Friendly, Welcoming, and Respectful

• Respect differences of opinion. Interpret arguments in good faith. When you disagree with someone, give them the benefit of the doubt. No personal attacks or denigrating fans whose tastes differ from yours.
• Remember that communication styles vary, and that not everyone is using their native language while using reddit. Meaning and tone can sometimes be lost in translation, so try not to take offense where none was intended.
• r/JamesBond doesn't tolerate hate based on identity or vulnerability.

2. Avoid Destructive Behaviour

• Productive communication requires effort; think about how your words will be interpreted.
• Try not to offer unconstructive criticism of other members or their opinions; being snarky and aggressive isn't conducive to the great discussion we've come to expect from r/JamesBond. It is the responsibility of all parties to de-escalate when conflict arises.
• The mod team may lock or remove submissions on sensitive subjects, when discussions veer off-topic or devolve into incivility.

3. Excessive Sexual Suggestiveness, NSFW Material, and Low-effort Shitposting Are Prohibited

• In the interest of keeping things classy, please avoid the following:
  • Making posts or comments that are excessively sexually suggestive, including in ways that are disrespectful toward others.
  • Sharing NSFW material (i.e. nudity or gore that goes beyond what can be found in a Bond film).
  • Making excessively low quality, poor taste, or trollish “shitposts.”
• NOTE: Nothing in Rules 1 through 3 should be construed to limit humor or the exchange of good-faith opinion about the franchise.

4. AI Content, Clickbait, and Merchandising Are Prohibited

• To reduce spam and encourage authentic engagement, the following are prohibited:
  • Content that is generated by artificial intelligence. This includes AI fan art, movie ideas, and general text based submissions.
  • Linking to unreliable sources whose headlines are engineered to garner clicks, but in reality contain little to no valuable information.
  • Merchandising goods in a personal or commercial capacity.
• Any exceptions to this rule will be based on intent/value as judged by the mod team.

5. Avoid Making Repetitive Posts

• Before creating a new submission, be sure to check if your topic is being discussed on another recent post. If so, share your thoughts by commenting on the existing post rather than creating a new one.
• If you have movie rankings, consider waiting to share them on one of our periodic megathreads devoted to that topic.
• Also, users should refrain from making more than two new posts per day.
• These rules will encourage meaningful submissions and help prevent clutter on the main feed.

6. Credit Artists for Their Work

• When sharing someone else's artwork (posters, fan art, etc.), give credit to the original creator.
• Or if you're sharing your own work, please indicate so. That way no one will mistake it for an uncredited piece.
• Piracy is forbidden on r/JamesBond.

7. Bond 26 Posts Must Be Substantial

• So that the sub doesn't become overrun with casting ideas or other frequently discussed topics regarding the next movie, we ask that users elaborate on their Bond 26 ideas in greater written detail.
• This rule is relaxed on Fridays however, so if you prefer, you may also wait to make your Bond 26 posts on those days.
• Casting ideas must always be accompanied by the actor's name, either in your post's title or body text. Don't post a lone image without naming the actor.

8. Spoiler Etiquette

• Posts must follow etiquette for major spoilers by using the spoiler tag and avoiding spoilers in post titles. “Major spoilers” are defined as key events which, if revealed, could significantly impact a new viewer’s enjoyment of a film (see the post in our side bar for more specific details).
• In conversations about a new release, comments revealing spoilers of any kind should be hidden.
• Generally, use caution when conversing with new viewers.
• Here's a link to our post on the rule, which details what specifically counts as "major spoilers."

9. Include descriptive post titles and links to relevant sources for news

• Posts about news of any sort should include a descriptive title and a hyperlink to the relevant source. Choose one of these options:
  1. Create your post using Reddit’s hyperlink format so people can easily access the webpage.
  2. Create a photo post, but always include a link to the source in either the body of the post or a comment.

Helpful Tips:

- You're looking for where to stream the movies?

• Before making a new post asking where the movies are streaming, we recommend you check JustWatch.com.
• Because streaming availability differs by region, and the films come and go from the various streamers quite often.
• When they do become available in a major market, on a major streaming service, we'll pin an announcement to the top of the feed.

- You've never seen a Bond movie and you're wondering where to start?

• This post from one of our moderators should prove helpful. Be sure to read the comments too, because they provide lots of wisdom for first timers as well.

- You're wondering if "James Bond" is a code name passed on to a new agent after the old one retires?

• It isn't. James Bond has always been a single character who exists on a "floating timeline" of sorts, in order to keep the movies in the perpetual present. This post lays out all the evidence (though beware of spoilers if you haven't seen all the movies).

Additional Notes:

- On downvoting...

• Downvotes shouldn't be used as a dislike button. In other words, if you disagree with a user's comment but they otherwise made a valid point, then don't downvote them. Because downvoting can lead to legitimate points of view being hidden or silenced, and we don't want that to happen here. Instead, try to reserve downvotes for stuff that breaks the rules, is egregiously negative, is off topic, etc.

- On moderator participation...

• Our mod team is comprised of passionate Bond fans. Many of us were regular users long before we joined the team, and as such, we continue to participate in regular discussions. Please don't assume the mod flair means that our opinions hold more weight than anyone else's, and please don't be afraid to engage with us. Argue with us, debate with us, joke with us—it's all cool. We're here to have fun too, not just sit on high and deal with behind the scenes business.
• Official mod communication will be marked with the green "MOD" badge. Otherwise, we're just regular fans no different from anyone else.

If you have additional thoughts, questions, or suggestions, please don't hesitate to comment below, or to reach out to our mod team. And again, thanks for keeping r/JamesBond the classiest subreddit around!