The American Film Institute list of top 10 movies of 2025 is out.
In a sign of the times, Netflix has placed three movies on the list. They are all excellent, too. “Frankenstein,” “Jay Kelly,” and “Train Dreams” made the cut.
Warner Bros. secured “One Battle After Another” and “Sinners.”
Universal and Focus Features got “Wicked For Good” and “Hamnet” and “Bugonia.”
The others were “Marty Supreme,” from A24, and “Avatar: Fire and Ash,” from Disney.
The AFI snubbed Sony Pictures Classics, which had a strong hand this year.
Also honored as a special prize: Jafar Panahi and his “It Was Just An Accident.” This is because Panahi, who is Iranian, made his film in secret but still managed to be convicted in absentia by the punitive government. If he returns to Tehran — which he told me he would — Panahi would have to serve a year in jail and be banned from travel.
The AFI Top 10 TV shows are: “Adolescence,” “Andor,” “Death by Lightning,” “The Diplomat, “The Lowdown,” “The Pitt,” “Pluribus,” “Severance,” “The Studio,” and “Task.”
Missing are comedies. No “Hacks” or “Only Murders in the Building” or “The Bear,” which isn’t a comedy anyway. Very surprising.
The AFI awards are given at a luncheon on January 9th at the Four Seasons Hotel in Los Angeles. The lunch is one of the highlights of awards season. AFI chief Bob Gazzale always comes up with a special surprise movie star to open the event.
Meantime, Gazzale was able to get Eddie Murphy for the AFI gala next spring, a perfect choice. Eddie doesn’t like awards events, but he deserves this one and it’s encouraging that he’s on board!
