“Dune,” “King Richard,” “The Power of the Dog” and “West Side Story” are among the films on the American Film Institute’s Top 10 list for 2021, the AFI announced on Wednesday.
Other films that made the cut were “CODA,” “Don’t Look Up,” “Licorice Pizza,” “Nightmare Alley,” “tick, tick… BOOM!” and “The Tragedy of Macbeth.”
With Kenneth Branagh’s “Belfast” receiving a special award because it is not eligible for the Top 10 list, which is restricted to American-made films, the list contains most of the films in contention for top awards this year. Ridley Scott’s two films, “House of Gucci” and “The Last Duel,” were among the more notable omissions, along with “Spencer,” “C’mon, C’mon” and “Being the Ricardos.”
Special awards went to the aforementioned “Belfast,” the Netflix Korean TV series “Squid Game” and the documentary “Summer of Soul.”
The AFI Top 10 list for television consisted of “Hacks,” “Maid,” “Mare of Easttown,” Reservation Dogs,” “Schmigadoon!,” “Succession,” “Ted Lasso,” “The Underground Railroad,” “WandaVision” and “The White Lotus.”
Over the last decade, about two-thirds of the films on the AFI list have gone on to receive Oscar nominations for Best Picture. Last year, six of the eight Best Picture nominees were on the AFI list.
‘The Power of the Dog’ Ending Explained
The AFI Top 10 lists are chosen by juries made up of academics, filmmakers, actors, historians, journalists and critics. This year’s film jury was chaired by Jeanine Basinger, and the television jury by Richard Frank.
Winners will be honored at an event on Jan. 7, 2022.
AFI MOVIES OF THE YEAR
CODA
DON’T LOOK UP
DUNE
KING RICHARD
LICORICE PIZZA
NIGHTMARE ALLEY
THE POWER OF THE DOG
tick, tick… BOOM!
THE TRAGEDY OF MACBETH
WEST SIDE STORY
AFI TELEVISION PROGRAMS OF THE YEAR
HACKS
MAID
MARE OF EASTTOWN
RESERVATION DOGS
SCHMIGADOON!
SUCCESSION
TED LASSO
THE UNDERGROUND RAILROAD
WANDAVISION
THE WHITE LOTUS
AFI SPECIAL AWARD
BELFAST
SQUID GAME
SUMMER OF SOUL (…OR, WHEN THE REVOLUTION COULD NOT BE TELEVISED)