A film similar to James Bond is available to stream on Amazon Prime Video in the UK and fans have called it “one of the best crime films ever made”. The James Bond franchise has built up a cult following over the years, standing the test of time and consistently smashing it at the box office even though the iconic spy first arrived on film screens in 1962. There are more than 25 movies in the franchise and more to be released with a new actor set to take over as 007 following Daniel Craig.
With the franchise being as massive as it is, it’s easy for other spy films to get overlooked but there are some amazing flicks out there that you may have never seen. One of them, with a Rotten Tomatoes score of above 80%, actually stars a Bond actor before he stepped into 007’s iconic shoes. Layer Cake was originally released in 2005 and received excellent reviews. It stars Daniel Craig in a tense action flick set in London. Craig plays a unnamed mid-level cocaine dealer who wants to step away from criminal life.
But before he can do that, his supplier draws him into a job that involves kidnapping a rival gangster’s daughter, as well as brokering the purchase of a large shipment of ecstasy pills from a dealer known as the Duke. This leads to a series of elaborate double crossings and a tense action thriller akin to a top James Bond story.
Listing films that are similar to James Bond, US entertainment publication Collider calls Layer Cake “Craig’s audition tape to play Bond, as it was shortly after appearing in Matthew Vaughn’s great directorial debut that he was announced to be 007 in Casino Royale”.
They wrote: “Layer Cake proved that Craig could play sharp, morally dubious characters that worked as both action heroes and romantic leads. Although the film certainly has a sinister edge to it, there’s also a lot of great snarky humour that fans of the Bond films may appreciate.”
Fans have also had great things to say about this film. One Rotten Tomatoes revier wrote: “One of the best crime films ever made. Matthew Vaughn, as a first-time director, uses some excellent shot making and editing techniques to keep it lively and interesting. If you liked the Godfather, you will love Layer Cake.”
Another said: “A perfect blend of great writing and great casting that together tell a classic story.”
A third commented: “A stylish and well-acted British film that cleverly tells an intriguing story, Layer Cake is entertaining and worth watching if one’s got the patience for it.”
A fourth wrote: “A stylised & electrifying tale of British crime & how the players in the underbelly of the nation all interact with one another, from the top to the bottom.”