The James Bond franchise is currently going through a transitional period. Denis Villeneuve has been hired to direct the next film, which will kickstart a new era that sees a new actor assume the iconic role of 007. As fans eagerly await updates about Villeneuve’s movie, they can pass the time by revisiting any of the previous 25 installments in the long-running action series. All of those films are easily accessible, as the entire James Bond franchise hit Netflix earlier this month. That means viewers can revisit the adventures of their personal favorite Bond — whichever actor that might be. And there’s one Bond movie in particular making waves on the streaming service.
For the week of January 19th-25th, No Time to Die was the most-watched Bond film, ranking third on Netflix’s global top 10 movies chart. During that time frame, No Time to Die racked up 9.6 million views and was watched for a total of 26.2 million hours. It’s one of two Bond films in the top 10 for the week; Spectre came in seventh with 4.3 million views and 10.6 million hours watched. The full Bond library wasn’t added to Netflix until January 21st, so these films accumulated their stats in a short amount of time.
Why No Time to Die Is the No. 1 James Bond Movie on Netflix
It isn’t surprising to see that the only two Bond films in Netflix’s top 10 are ones starring Craig. While each era of the franchise has its loyal fan base and supporters, Craig’s tenure is obviously the most recent, which means it probably has the most widespread appeal amongst general audiences. What’s interesting is that the most acclaimed Craig entries — Casino Royale and Skyfall — aren’t the ones getting the most views on Netflix. This suggests that viewers have opted to revisit some of the more underrated installments of the Craig run (Spectre) to see if it’s better than they remember. No Time to Die is essentially a direct sequel to Spectre, so it’s only natural to want to rewatch that one after seeing Spectre.
No Time to Die is also worth watching just on its own. While the film is a bit long, it still serves as a satisfying final chapter for Craig’s Bond, delivering all of the action and spectacle fans have come to expect. There are plenty of standout moments, such as the car chase involving the classic Aston Martin, Ana de Armas’ memorable turn as Paloma, and the poignant finale that sees the filmmakers make some daring creative choices. The dynamic between Bond and Madeleine Swann gives No Time to Die a strong emotional core, encapsulating one of the best elements of the Craig era. His Bond was always envisioned as a hard reboot that would add depth to the character, and that’s conveyed here.
Seeing two Bond films in Netflix’s top 10 illustrates that Amazon was smart to license the titles out to another streaming service. Some might have found it odd that Amazon wouldn’t have just kept the Bond movies on Prime, but the company is wisely taking advantage of Netflix’s large subscriber base, keeping the 007 IP visible on another platform. The viewership numbers show there was a clear demand for Bond content on Netflix, so Amazon was filling a void.
While Bond 26 won’t be out in theaters for another couple of years at least, 2026 is still shaping up to be an exciting time for the franchise. Video game 007 First Light is set for release in the spring, and it’s expected that Villeneuve could cast his leading man this year (though nothing has been confirmed on that front). Depending on how long the Bond films stay on Netflix, the series could continue to dominate the streamer’s charts as fans look to get any kind of fix amidst all of the other developments.
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