2024 has been an excellent year for smaller, weirder, more original films than usual. While there have been some very fun blockbusters (The Fall Guy, Twisters, Inside Out 2, Furiosa, Sonic the Hedgehog 3, Deadpool and Wolverine), the best movies of 2024 have tended to be small indies, mid-budget films, or excellent imports from around the world that don’t need a Hollywood budget to excel. Perhaps most surprising is the surfeit of wonderful Westerns this year (and one giant multipart disappointment). There have also been numerous brilliant documentary films, making 2024 one of the best years for the genre.