Here are the ten grittiest James Bond movies, ranked.

The Living Daylightsplayed into real fears about international terrorism, and avoided mentioning SPECTRE at all.

Amidst political intrigue and high-stakes espionage, Bond relies on his skills to unravel the truth.

Licence-to-Kill

Image via United Artists

James Bond’s loyalty to M is tested when her past comes back to haunt her.

As he gains Sanchezs trust, Bond meticulously dismantles the drug empire from within.

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Daniel Craig as James Bond holding a gun in No Time to Die

Image via MGM

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James Bond (Pierce Brosnan) stands in a light suit, aiming a pistol as he stands in the bedroom of a coastal villa.

Image via MGM Distribution Co.

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Daniel Craig as James Bond in Quantum of Solace

Image via Sony Pictures Releasing

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James Bond (Timothy Dalton) sits alone in a hall wearing a dark suit.

Image via MGM/UA Communications Co.

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The Living Daylights: British secret agent James Bond is tasked with aiding a Soviet general’s defection to the West, but a complex web of deception soon leads him into a global conspiracy involving arms deals and assassinations. Amidst political intrigue and high-stakes espionage, Bond relies on his skills to unravel the truth.

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Cast Placeholder Image

GoldenEye-1995

Image via MGM/Eon

Goldeneye movie poster

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Whisper (Earl Jolly Brown) stands in a yellow tuxedo posing as hotel staff as he delivers a bottle of champagne in ‘Live and Let Die’ (1973).

Image via United Artists

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George Lazenby and Diana Rigg in On Her Majesty’s Secret Service

Image via Britannica

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Naomie Harris as Moneypenny in ‘Skyfall’

Image via MGM

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James Bond’s loyalty to M is tested when her past comes back to haunt her. When MI6 comes under attack, 007 must track down and destroy the threat, no matter how personal the cost.

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The infamous torture scene from Casino Royale - 2006

Image via Sony Pictures Releasing

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Timothy Dalton’s James Bond in the water with Carey Lowell’s Pam in Licence to Kill

Image via MGM

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James Bond goes rogue to seek revenge against drug lord Franz Sanchez after his friend Felix Leiter is brutally attacked and left for dead. Stripped of his license to kill, Bond infiltrates Sanchez’s organization, navigating a dangerous world of deception and betrayal. As he gains Sanchez’s trust, Bond meticulously dismantles the drug empire from within.

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Movie

Licence to Kill