8. Dr. No
Bond wouldnt have lasted as long as it did without this film. This started it all. And its so damn good, its not hard to see why people took it to heart. Connery is never better- hes dangerous and sexy without being a smug git like he would in every subsequent film. Here hes a real mans man. Rewatching it, you see just how great Honey Ryder was- perhaps my favourite scene in the film is the quiet moment between her and Bond where we learn her backstory. This was emotional resonance I had forgotten about, and we wouldnt expect for another 7 years. Like Skyfall, we dont meet our villain until halfway in, but he is a bit of a Keyser Soze- his reputation precedes him, which makes Joseph Wisemans Dr. No all the more unnerving. Even if the ending is not very exciting and incredibly abrupt, as was wanton in many British films of its ilk, it stands out as being the closest to truly capture the spirit of Flemings books until The Living Daylights, and without it we wouldnt have any of the other films Ive ranked.