Most of our picks in this category aren’t what most people call “pure” comedies. Does this say anything other than pointing out what everyone knows about what “pure” comedies have been like in recent years? They’ve been, mostly, pure crap. Nonetheless, there’s nothing better than getting a bit more than you’re regular dose of a laugh while watching a movie, be that a murder mystery or a trip through the unfathomable multiverse.

Here are our picks for the Top 5 Leading Comedy Movie Performances in 2022.

– Dylan Blight

5.) Janelle Monae

Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery

To say why Janelle Monáe deserves to be on this list would be a spoiler, even her being on this list may be considered a spoiler but it is one worth having to give her the praise she deserves. Playing the role of Helen Brand, Monáe is great as the outcast of the group of friends who have come to Miles Bron’s island. But when the other shoe drops, her performance goes to the next level and you’ll quickly realise why she deserves to be on this list.

– Ashley Hobley

4.) Nicolas Cage

The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent

It’s a particular skill to play oneself with the right amount of seriousness to carry a dramatic role while also being able to laugh and joke about yourself. But that’s what Nicolas Cage pulls off in The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent as Cage plays on real-life turmoil and events in his own life, the wacky character he is portrayed as in the media, and the recent road of indie releases that has given his career a resurgence. He is “niiiiiiccckkkkkkkkk”

– Dylan Blight

3.) Daniel Craig

Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery

Returning to the role of Benoit Blanc, it feels that Daniel Craig has more opportunity to shine in this film than in Knives Out. While the central figure in Knives Out was more predominately Ana de Armas’ character Marta, here Blanc takes the spotlight as he is our entry point into the world of Miles Bron. Craig is able to make Blanc a great fit for the sillier tone of this film with many very funny moments that are just as memorable as the reveals of his deductions. We can’t wait to see Daniel Craig return to this role once more.

– Ashley Hobley

2.) Pedro Pascal

The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent

Pedro Pascal co-starred in two comedies in 2022, and while one, The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent, was fantastic, the other, The Bubble, was one of the most disappointing things I watched all year. Pascal, however, was excellent in both thanks to a commitment to his character and being able to have fun at his own expense. However, in The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent, he proves he can be a comedy natural, being part of a true buddy-comedy with Nicolas Cage, and delivering one of the year’s most hilarious chase sequences. 

– Dylan Blight

1.) Michelle Yeoh

Everything Everywhere All At Once

The performance of Michelle Yeoh’s illustrious career. The Daniels have given her the opportunity with this role to show a little of everything she is capable and she took it with both hands. From the dramatic moments of dealing with a husband seeking a divorce and a daughter who feels unloved to moments of incredible comedy like an alternate universe where everyone has hotdogs for fingers. Plus she gets to remind everyone how kickass she is with some awesome fight sequences. This movie would not have worked without Michelle Yeoh‘s fantastic central performances and we are all incredibly grateful for it.

– Ashley Hobley

Dylan Blight and Ashley Hobley compiled this Top 5 list. The movies nominated must have had a theatrical release in a cinema, VOD or on a streaming platform between December 27th 2021 – December 27th 2022.