Daniel Craig is best known for his turn as the latest actor to fill the role of James Bond, but his range extends far beyond the posh MI6 agent, though he will be reprising him at least one more time in the near future. He’s played a wide variety of roles — and worked with huge directors like Steven Spielberg, Steven Soderbergh, David Fincher, Sam Mendes, and Jon Favreau. He is often reserved in his performances — but also shines in roles where he is able to cut loose. Of his career so far, here are his ten best films.
Logan Lucky (2017)
Craig’s role in Steven Soderbergh’s Logan Lucky is certainly his funniest, if not his best overall. He plays Joe Bang, incarcerated southerner and demolitions expert. He is recruited by the Logan family to help them pull off a heist of the Charlotte Motor Speedway.
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Skyfall (2012)
After a solid first entry and a weaker follow-up as the classic special agent, Craig gives his best Bond performance with Skyfall. When a mission goes awry and the entire MI6 agency is put at risk—it is up to Agent 007 to save the day once more.
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Munich (2005)
With Munich, Spielberg dramatizes the massacre of Israeli athletes at the 1972 Olympics by the Palestinian group Black September and the ensuing violent response by the Mossad. Craig plays Steve, a Jewish South African who volunteers to be part of the team. It is Spielberg at his most skillfully reserved and ponderous.
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Casino Royale (2006)
After decades of films, Ian Fleming’s first novel about Agent 007 was finally put to film with Casino Royale. The film envisions Bond’s early career — right after receiving his license to kill. He is forced to go head-to-head with Le Chiffre (Mads Mikkelsen) a mysterious financier of terrorist organizations. Both Craig and Mikkelsen’s performances are deserving of praise.
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Road to Perdition (2002)
Road to Perdition tells the story of a Depression-era mobster John Rooney (Paul Newman)’s right-hand man Michael Sullivan (Tom Hanks). The mobster’s son Conor (Craig) is jealous of the relationship his father shares with Sullivan and lashes out as a result. It is a somber and well-crafted film.
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The Adventures of Tintin (2011)
Spielberg’s The Adventures of Tintin is very much a spiritual successor to his Indiana Jones films. The eponymous Tintin finds an antique model ship which turns his life upside down. Craig plays a mysterious, sinister man named Sakharine who is very much interested in getting his hands on the aforementioned ship. It is one of his most unique and campiest roles.
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Spectre (2015)
Spectre is a pretty cut-and-dry entry into the Bond franchise. Craig offers another sturdy performance as the spy but offers little new. While not as groundbreaking as its predecessor Skyfall — for any fan of the series, Spectre is well worth the price of admission.
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The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo (2011)
In David Fincher’s adaptation of the Stieg Larsson novel The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, Craig plays financial reporter Mikael Blomkvist. He recruits the titular investigator Lisbeth Salander to help him solve a 40-year-old murder. It is often lauded as one of Craig’s best as well as Fincher’s
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Cowboys & Aliens (2011)
Craig plays an amnesiac outlaw reminiscent of Clint Eastwood’s Man with No Name who finds himself in the middle of the desert. He moseys into town with a mysterious contraption strapped to his wrist. While he finds himself unwelcome at first, the locals soon change their tune when the town comes under attack from aliens. The film underwhelmed at the box office, but perhaps deserves a referendum from audiences.
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Quantum of Solace (2008)
The existence of Quantum of Solace is necessitated by its predecessor. Following the events of Casino Royale, Bond is on a warpath for revenge. While it is arguably the weakest of Craig’s Bond, it is still a solid, watchable film.
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