With No Time To Die, he can finally focus on the kinds of other projects that made him famous in the first place. Though he is most known for playing the stoic secret agent, Craig has proven to be a veritable chameleon of the screen.
From historical classics like Elizabeth to spooky dramas like The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo, Daniel Craig has shown frequently that he is so much more than James Bond. Despite acting in many great films, some Daniel Craig films garnered much higher scores on IMDb.
The Jacket (2005) - 7.1
In the days before he played James Bond, Daniel Craig often found himself in all sorts of different genres. The Jacket is the story of a Gulf War veteran who is wrongfully convicted of murder, and sent to a mental health facility. While there, he is ruthlessly tortured by a doctor who subjects him to sensory deprivation treatments which send the veteran through time.
Tackling serious subject matter like PTSD and institutional abuse, the film deftly mixes its Sci-Fi premise with its dour outlook. Craig plays Rudy Mackenzie, another patient at the facility whose paranoia is the reason he was itted. He does an excellent job at giving the character life without blowing things out of proportion, and adds a note of realism to the Sci-Fi drama.
The Power Of One (1992) - 7.1
One of Craig's earliest films, The Power of One featured a strong mixture of sports and drama. The film follows a young Englishman living in Africa, whose boxing skill lifts the spirits of those affected by the onset of WWII.
Craig plays the role of the bully, Jaapie Botha, and he gets an opportunity to share the screen with acting legends like Morgan Freeman. Though the film isn't often ed as one of the greatest boxing movies of all time, it still delivers a powerful story with some great action. What helps the film shine is its interesting location and setting, which sets it apart from its sports movie contemporaries.
Defiance (2008) - 7.2
In the midst of his James Bond run, Daniel Craig's role in Defiance gave him a chance to play an entirely different type of action hero. Following a pair of brothers during WWII, the film chronicles their escape from Nazi-occupied Belarus where they the Russian resistance. Their ultimate goal is to create a safe community for themselves and over one thousand Jewish civilians escaping persecution.
While there is a fair amount of action, Defiance's biggest strength is the fascinating story that it contains. Craig is once again a man on a mission, but his mission has greater purpose than the typical James Bond fare. Tying in deep pieces of actual history, the film is all the more gripping because it is based on true events.
Layer Cake (2004) - 7.3
While fans of 007 were used to seeing Craig on the right side of the law, Layer Cake offered a glimpse of his bad side. A successful drug dealer has secured a nice spot for himself amongst England's mafia elite. However, on the eve of his retirement, he is given an assignment to find the daughter of one of the most powerful businessmen in the country.
As the name suggests, the film gets more complicated as it goes along, and what seems like a simple mission turns into a messy one very quickly. Craig shows flashes of what he would bring to the table as Bond, and his no-nonsense character is right in the actor's wheelhouse. Also featuring Tom Hardy in one of his best roles, the film is a raucous ride through the seedier side of Great Britain.
The Adventures Of Tintin (2011) - 7.3
Flexing his vocal acting chops, Daniel Craig's appearance in The Adventures of Tintin was one of the most unique additions to his lengthy filmography. Tintin is an intrepid kid reporter who s with a salty old sea captain to find his ancestor's sunken ship.
Playing the dastardly villain Sakharine, Craig's understated vocal delivery blends well with the character's sinister motives. Bringing a classic character like Tintin to life wasn't an easy task, but the animation style and whimsical storytelling kept with the traditions of the beloved comic strip. Though plans have languished for years, The Adventures of Tintin is generally ed as a movie that deserved a sequel but never got one.
Elizabeth (1998) - 7.4
Early in his career, Craig often found himself in British period pieces, and he carved a place for himself in those roles. Elizabeth chronicles the rise of Queen Elizabeth the First, and her conflicts with the Royal Council as they attempt to marry her off.
Through brilliant direction and inspired costume design, Elizabeth elevates its ancient story and fills it with new life. Helped along by a cast that is stuffed with talented performers, the 1990s historical gem was a critical and commercial success. Craig plays a small but pivotal role as John Ballard, a would-be assassin from the Catholic Church, who makes an attempt on Elizabeth's life.
Munich (2005) - 7.5
Daniel Craig has had the opportunity to work with some of the best directors in history, and Munich saw him team up with legendary hit-maker Steven Spielberg. After the "Black September" massacre of Israeli athletes at the 1972 Olympics, a crack team of assassins is assembled to get revenge on those responsible.
Focusing mostly on Eric Bana's Avner character, the tense drama revolves around his emotional turmoil with raising a family, and the violent career he has chosen to pursue. Craig plays Steve, a South African getaway driver who is part of the team sent on the mission. Being somewhat separate from the conflict, Steve is an interesting character because his motivations are less emotionally invested. The film brings to life a fascinating piece of recent history that most people weren't aware of, and it did so by showing the emotional side of those involved.
Road To Perdition (2002) - 7.7
Even though secret agents and action heroes are perfect characters for Daniel Craig, so too are violent criminals as well. In Road to Perdition, a mob enforcer must go on the run when his young son witnesses him in the act of killing, and his murderous partner looks to tie up loose ends.
Juxtaposing the onscreen personalities of Tom Hanks' Michael Sullivan with Daniel Craig's take on Connor Rooney was a brilliant choice by director Sam Mendes. Craig steps into the role as the icy-cold killer with relative ease, and he plays a villain with subtle finesse. Sharing the screen with the likes of Hanks and Paul Newman was a daunting task, but Craig's chilling performance showed that he was up to the challenge.
The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo (2011) - 7.8
Bringing the legendary Scandinavian Noir novel to life for an American audience, The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo had big shoes to fill. A journalist who is on the hunt for a woman that has been missing for decades is aided in his search by a mysterious young woman who is a whiz at computer hacking.
Playing the journalist, Blomkvist, Craig's subtle and understated performance perfectly matched the methodical tone of the film. Like most David Fincher works, the film relies heavily on its eerie sound design, and the empty spaces between scenes. As the story slowly plays out, the viewer is practically hypnotized by the film, and utterly drawn into the compellingly twisted plot.
Knives Out (2019) - 7.9
Like an Agatha Christie story on acid, Knives Out was many's first glimpse of a comedic Daniel Craig performance. A detective investigates the murder of the patriarch of an eccentric and wealthy family.
Craig shines as Benoit Blanc, a stereotypically Louisiana Cajun detective, who attempts to unravel the twisted knot that is the Drysdale family. While the plot is somewhat stock-standard for murder mysteries, it is the comedic directions that the film takes that help it shine. The film's large cast all come together to tell a compelling, and utterly hilarious tale of intrigue and murder.
