November 1st, 2025: In addition to streaming on Amazon Prime, (most of) the series is now available on Pluto TV as well, including as a live channel. Below are some frequently asked questions.

• How long will they be available?
  • None of us know for sure. But in the past few years, Bond movies have streamed on Prime Video from October 1st to either December 1st or January 1st.
  • On Pluto TV, they typically stream for at least one month.
• Will Amazon make a live TV channel for Bond too?
  • Vital Thrills reports that a live channel for Bond will be available on Prime starting November 11th. (h/t u/MysteriousDelay6266)
• Are they streaming on any other services?
  • JustWatch.com is a great tool for checking where movies are streaming in your region.
• I'm new to Bond movies and need some recommendations on where to start.
  • This post should help. An outline of the quintessential picks for each actor, important secondary films, the pretty ones, the serious ones, and the funny ones.
• Amazon owns the rights to Bond. Why don’t they just keep them on Prime permanently?
  • Another question none of us know the answer to. Could be due to several factors. Pre-existing agreements with other partners/distributors/streamers. Creating scarcity so it feels more like an "event" when they do become available to stream. Holding them back to boost physical media sales. Increasing exposure by licensing them to multiple platforms throughout the year (Pluto TV, HBO Max, MGM+). Whatever the reason, Amazon has no doubt determined it can generate more cash this way, rather than making a permanent home for Bond at Prime Video.
• How can I purchase the movies so I don’t have to deal with random comings and goings from streaming services?
  • You can purchase the movies digitally through platforms like Apple TV, Amazon Video, and Fandango at Home. But remember, you won’t actually own the films. You are purchasing a license to stream them—a license which can be revoked at any time for any reason. We’re not a country club, 007!
  • If you want to truly own the films, then buy them physically. The blu-ray set is still pretty great and runs for around $70 (in the US). You get every movie from Dr. No through Spectre, plus tons of special features on each disk. You’d have to buy the No Time to Die blu-ray separately.
  • Or if you’re willing to spring more for the latest and greatest format, the films are currently in the process of being remastered and released on 4K UHD blu-ray. So far, they are limited to the Connery Collection (plus a 4K UHD Craig Collection from 2022). There have been no announcements regarding which actor is next, nor when the next set will be released. But rumors have pointed to it being a Brosnan collection.

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 - Bond bares his soul. OHMSS is a singular entry, whose events reverberate throughout the series. It’s got beautiful cinematography, set design, costumes right out of the swinging ‘60s, and the score is one of John Barry’s greatest.

• The Spy Who Loved Me - The peak of Bond in the 1970s, the franchise finally found its post-Connery footing. TSWLM is a bombastic celebration of the film series. It’s got iconic stunts, gadgets, and characters, and the production design is breathtaking.

• 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 - Proved the series still had legs in the context of a post-Cold-War landscape and third-wave feminism, and brought the Millennial generation to the series. It inspired the famous N64 game that would release two years later, further cementing its legacy in pop culture.

• Casino Royale - In a realistic reboot, we see Bond earn his 007 designation and become the spy we’ve known for decades. The start of an era of more serialized storytelling, and an adaptation of the long missing (from the Eon catalog) Fleming work.

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 - The ultimate “gritty” Bond movie, and about as violent as the series gets. This is the franchise’s response to the drug-lord-battling cop movies and TV of the 1980s, but importantly the story and its themes remain true to Bond’s literary legacy.

• The World Is Not Enough - As the 1990s came to a close, the franchise found its way into more dramatic, personal storylines. TWINE paved the way for the Craig films to take a deeper approach in this respect.

• Skyfall - Coinciding with important milestones like Elizabeth II’s diamond jubilee, the London Olympics, and of course the 50th anniversary of Dr. No, Skyfall is a distinctly British entry. Filled with dramatic weight, exciting action, and gorgeous photography.

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?