1. Goldfinger

I would venture a guess that the vast majority of Bond fans rank Goldfinger as number 1 on their lists, for this film truly encapsulates the formula of a Bond flick. It’s got the best gadgets, the coolest car, a megalomaniac villain with a weird obsession, an infamous henchman, and it’s got Pussy Galore (Honor Blackman) for god’s sake!

It really checks all the Bond boxes. In Goldfinger it’s up to Bond to stop gold-obsessed smuggler, Auric Goldfinger (Gert Frobe), from setting off an atomic device in Fort Knox in an effort to radiate the gold supply of the United States. Honestly, typing out that plot overview almost felt cringeworthy, but for some reason this movie really works. Connery gives his best performance as Bond after he perfected his character in the previous two movies.

Aston Martin comes into the fold as Bond starts driving the most iconic car from the franchise, the DB5 (that comes complete with a freakin’ ejector seat!). We get arguably the best gambling scene of any Bond movie as he and Goldfinger go up against one another in a golf match. There are many unique aspects that make Bond movies so special, and Goldfinger highlights all of them.