AFI Top 10 Films and Television: ‘Black Panther,’ ‘A Quiet Place,’ ‘Pose,’ ‘Succession’

The American Film Institute (AFI) has named its 10 best films and 10 best television programs of 2018 and among them include Black Panther, The Favourite, If Beale Street Could Talk and A Quiet Place in film and the final season of The Americans, Barry, The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel and Pose on the television side. 

The group also set a special honor to Alfonso Cuarón’s ROMA with the AFI Special Award, “designated for a work of excellence outside the Institute’s criteria for American film.

Often a bellwether for what a likely Best Picture lineup would look like, AFI’s top 10 films cover the gamut of small indies that made a big impact this year (Eighth Grade and First Reformed) alongside huge critical and box office hits (Black Panther and A Quiet Place). 

A few noticeable misses from the film lineup include Crazy Rich Asians, First Man, Widows and Vice. 

In television, only The Assassination of Gianni Versace: American Crime Story represented a non-series program. The list was dominated by first season shows like Pose, Succession and Barry. 

This year’s juries — one for film and one for television — were chaired by AFI Board of Trustees Vice Chairs Tom Pollock (former Vice Chairman of MCA, Chairman of Universal Pictures) for film and Richard Frank (former Chairman of Walt Disney Television, President of Walt Disney Studios, President of the Academy of Television Arts and Sciences) for television. The juries featured acclaimed artists such as David Benioff, Joan Chen, Courtney B. Vance and Alfre Woodard; renowned authors and scholars representing prestigious universities with recognized motion picture arts and television programs; film historian Leonard Maltin; the AFI Board of Trustees; and film and television critics from media outlets such as the Los Angeles Times, NPR, Rolling Stone, TV Guide, Vanity Fair, Variety and The Washington Post.

Honorees will gather on January 4, 2019, for recognition at the annual AFI AWARDS private luncheon in Los Angeles, CA — an event favored by the entertainment community for its informal intimacy and its inclusive acknowledgement of excellence. At the luncheon, AFI will present jury rationales providing artistic and cultural context for the selection of each honoree.

Here is the full list of AFI’s top films and television programs of the year.

AFI MOVIES OF THE YEAR

BLACKKKLANSMAN
BLACK PANTHER
EIGHTH GRADE
IF BEALE STREET COULD TALK
THE FAVOURITE
FIRST REFORMED
GREEN BOOK
MARY POPPINS RETURNS
A QUIET PLACE
A STAR IS BORN

AFI TV PROGRAMS OF THE YEAR

THE AMERICANS
THE ASSASSINATION OF GIANNI VERSACE: AMERICAN CRIME STORY
ATLANTA
BARRY
BETTER CALL SAUL
THE KOMINSKY METHOD
THE MARVELOUS MRS. MAISEL
POSE
SUCCESSION
THIS IS US

AFI SPECIAL AWARD

ROMA