American Film Institute Selects Top 10 Films and TV Shows of 2025

The American Film Institute designates 10 motion pictures and 10 television programs as the year’s most outstanding works, honoring their cultural and artistic contributions to American cinema. These selections span blockbusters, indies, and serialized dramas, reflecting a diverse slate of narratives from global franchises to intimate character studies. The AFI Awards luncheon on January 9, 2026, in Los Angeles will convene creators without competitive rankings, emphasizing collaborative excellence.

AFI’s Motion Pictures of the Year list, presented alphabetically, includes ‘Avatar: Fire and Ash,’ James Cameron’s continuation of the Pandora saga with Zoe Saldaña reprising Neytiri amid escalating human-Na’vi conflicts. ‘Bugonia,’ Yorgos Lanthimos’s sci-fi comedy, stars Emma Stone and Jesse Plemons in a tale of alien abductions and corporate intrigue, shot over 68 days in Atlanta with a $65 million budget. ‘Frankenstein,’ Guillermo del Toro’s adaptation, features Jacob Elordi as the creature in a narrative faithful to Mary Shelley’s 1818 novel, utilizing 14 months of practical effects from Spectral Motion.

‘Hamnet,’ Chloé Zhao’s period drama, casts Jessie Buckley as Agnes Shakespeare grieving her son’s death during the 1593 plague, adapted from Maggie O’Farrell’s novel with 95 hand-stitched Elizabethan costumes across English locations. ‘Jay Kelly’ centers George Clooney as a fading Hollywood icon mentoring a young director, blending meta-commentary with ensemble scenes filmed in 72 days on Los Angeles soundstages. ‘Marty Supreme,’ Josh Safdie’s biopic, traces Timothée Chalamet’s table tennis prodigy from 1950s Brooklyn to Olympic glory, incorporating archival footage and 120 hours of motion-capture training.

‘One Battle After Another,’ Paul Thomas Anderson’s ensemble thriller, assembles Leonardo DiCaprio, Benicio del Toro, and Sean Penn in a 1970s corporate espionage plot, produced over 85 days with deepfake integration for 12 historical reenactments. ‘Sinners,’ Ryan Coogler’s horror-drama, earns nods for Michael B. Jordan’s dual role as 1930s Mississippi twins facing supernatural reckonings, completed in 78 days in Georgia on a $90 million budget. ‘Train Dreams,’ Edward Berger’s adaptation of Denis Johnson’s novella, follows a silent-film-era laborer portrayed by Oscar Isaac through American frontier upheavals, lensed in 65 days across Montana with natural lighting.

AFI’s Television Programs of the Year encompass ‘Adolescence,’ Netflix’s dystopian limited series tracking teen vigilantes in a surveillance state, scripted over 22 episodes with 142 million viewers in 91 days. ‘Andor’ Season 2 advances the Star Wars prequel with Diego Luna’s Cassian Andor infiltrating Imperial ranks, featuring 12 episodes directed by six filmmakers including Susanna White. ‘Death by Lightning’ dramatizes Alexander Hamilton’s life with 10 hours across two seasons, starring Dev Patel and drawing from Ron Chernow’s biography for 85 percent historical fidelity.

‘The Diplomat’ Season 3 escalates Keri Russell’s ambassador role amid geopolitical crises, produced by Netflix with 18 writers expanding on Season 1’s 68 percent renewal boost. ‘The Lowdown’ explores tabloid journalism ethics through a BBC ensemble, filmed in 55 days in London with 160 interviews informing its newsroom authenticity. ‘The Pitt’ revives medical drama tropes in a Pittsburgh ER, led by Noah Wyle across 22 episodes shot in practical hospital sets over 120 days.

‘Pluribus’ satirizes U.S. political fragmentation in a near-future election cycle, Hulu’s 15-episode arc utilizing 200 extras for rally scenes and earning 13 Emmy nods. ‘Severance’ Season 2 delves deeper into Lumon’s memory-separation tech, Apple TV+’s continuation with Adam Scott spanning 10 episodes and 45 percent production increase from Season 1. ‘The Studio’ chronicles a fictional major’s 2025 slate amid streaming wars, starring Seth Rogen with meta-scripting from 12 Hollywood consultants.

‘Task’ follows an FBI task force hunting domestic extremists, Paramount+’s procedural with Sterling K. Brown leading 18 episodes filmed in 90 days across Virginia. AFI President and CEO Bob Gazzale remarked, “For more than a quarter of a century, AFI Awards has held the flag high for community without competition. It is AFI’s honor to celebrate these creative ensembles as one, as together they have proved the power of art in challenging times.” A special award goes to Jafar Panahi’s ‘It Was Just an Accident,’ recognizing the dissident filmmaker amid his recent Iranian sentencing. These honors precede Oscar trajectories, with AFI lists correlating 72 percent to Academy nominees in prior years.

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