Image credit: SPE, Universal Pictures, WIP, Paramount, DreamWorks Distribution, Dragon Pictures, New Line Cinema, Anchor Bay Films
The man's more than just James Bond, you know?
So here are some of the lesser-known Daniel Craig movies that totally deserve a standing ovation – or at least a cozy movie night.
1. Layer Cake (2004) Long before he was Bond, Craig was an unnamed cocaine dealer planning to retire. Yeah, in "Layer Cake," he's living the high life, making bank, and keeping it sophisticated, when suddenly he's given two tough jobs by his boss, Jimmy. The first job? Find the missing daughter of a big-time criminal. Second? Broker a drug deal involving a stolen batch of ecstasy.
As you'd expect, things go south pretty quickly. Double-crossings, murders, and plot twists keep you guessing.
2. The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo (2011) Here's Craig in detective mode, but there's no shaken-not-stirred martini in sight. Playing Mikael Blomkvist, a disgraced journalist, he teams up with a hacker, Lisbeth Salander, to solve a 40-year-old disappearance in a dysfunctional Swedish family.
The film veers into some dark territories, including sexual assault and serial killings. With each revelation, the mystery only deepens.
3. Munich (2005) Craig's playing an assassin in this one. Based on real events following the 1972 Munich Olympics massacre, Craig is Steve, a South African driver and the team's unofficial gun guy.
The group, led by Avner Kaufman (Eric Bana), is assigned by the Israeli government to track down and kill the Palestinians responsible for the Munich massacre. The team executes their targets one by one, using bombs, guns, and even a seductive Dutch assassin.
4. Infamous (2006) Daniel Craig plays Perry Smith, a convicted murderer, opposite Toby Jones' Truman Capote. This film tells the story of Capote's relationship with Perry while researching his book "In Cold Blood." Perry and his partner, Dick, are in jail for the murder of a Kansas family.
The more Capote learns about Perry, the more emotionally entangled he becomes. There's even a point where you think, "Is Capote falling for this guy?"
5. Enduring Love (2004) In "Enduring Love," Craig plays Joe, a college professor who witnesses a freak hot air balloon accident. Despite his and other witnesses' efforts to save a boy inside the balloon, tragedy strikes.
One of the would-be rescuers, Jed, becomes obsessed with Joe, believing that their shared experience means they're meant to be together. It gets creepy. Like, Jed stalking Joe to his home and workplace kind of creepy. Eventually, Joe's life unravels as he becomes increasingly paranoid.
6. Defiance (2008) World War II, Nazi-occupied Belarus, and guess who's leading a group of Jewish partisans? It's Daniel Craig, playing Tuvia Bielski. Tuvia, along with his brothers Zus and Asael, escape into the forest after their family is killed. They form a community of refugees fighting for survival and taking revenge on Nazi collaborators.
Challenges abound — from food shortages to internal disputes — and the winter proves to be a formidable enemy. A clash of leadership between Tuvia and Zus adds even more tension.
7. Road to Perdition (2002) A classic gangster movie, but instead of the streets of New York, we're in 1930s Illinois. Daniel Craig plays Connor Rooney, son of mob boss John Rooney. Connor is jealous of his father's fondness for Michael Sullivan, played by Tom Hanks.
After Connor commits a rash murder, Sullivan gets involved, leading to Connor killing Sullivan's wife and youngest son. This sets off a chain of revenge killings and pursuits. Connor manipulates the situation, but not enough to escape Sullivan's calculated wrath.
8. The Golden Compass (2007) Craig plays Lord Asriel in this adaptation of Philip Pullman's novel. Lord Asriel is an explorer-scientist who discovers that a mysterious substance called "Dust" can unlock parallel universes. But there's a catch. The Magisterium, a powerful organization, wants to suppress this knowledge. Meanwhile, Asriel's niece Lyra tries to rescue kidnapped children.
The two storylines intertwine, leading to an epic showdown involving witches, armored bears, and a whole lot of magic.
9. Flashbacks of a Fool (2008) Craig plays Joe Scot, a washed-up British actor living in Los Angeles. After hearing about the death of his childhood friend Boots, Joe reflects on his youth and the tragedy that set him on his self-destructive path. The movie is interspersed with flashbacks to his teenage years, filled with the usual suspects — drugs, romance, and rock 'n' roll.
The story reaches a critical point when a young Joe's sexual escapade leads to a fatal accident, altering his life forever. Now, as an adult, Joe returns to England to face his past.
10. Some Voices (2000) This is Craig in one of his rawest roles. He plays Ray, a young man with schizophrenia, freshly released from a psychiatric hospital. Despite his attempts to lead a normal life, which includes a job at his brother's restaurant and a new romance, the struggle with his condition is ever-present. His relationship with Laura, a troubled woman, adds more complexity to his life.
As Ray stops taking his medication, his world starts to spiral out of control.
