You know, there’s always something to be said for a comfort watch. We don’t know what you queue up during a day that feels especially hellish, but your friends at Esquire love a good comedy or a musical. Thankfully, 2022 gave us solid offerings from both genres.
The slate of comedy films was especially impressive closer to the end of the year, with Weird: The Al Yankovic Story leaving us in Daniel Radcliffe-induced stitches, and Confess, Fletch throwing us back to the ’80s once again. Earlier in the year, we saw the greatest Nic Cage film to ever Nic Cage, in The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent, plus Turning Red, which proved to be another charming entry in the great Pixar canon—and one of Esquire’s best movies of 2022. We haven’t seen as many movie musicals this year, but who could forget about Elvis? Not us. Here are the best comedies and musicals of 2022 so far.
1
Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery
The much-anticipated follow-up to Knives Out is finally here. Follow our intrepid detective, Benoit Blanc (played by Daniel Craig), as he stumbles upon another murder—but this time, on the exotic shores of Greece. The new ensemble cast features Kate Hudson, Janelle Monae, and even Dave Bautista. Luckily, you can solve the mystery right now on Netflix.
We all know Santa Claus: big white beard, round jolly belly, and a sleigh full of treats for all the good boys and girls. Well, wipe that image from your mind. In this action-comedy, Santa Claus becomes an ass-kicking warrior—and you’ll definitely want to be on his good side.
Guillermo Del Toro and a beloved children’s story? You shouldn’t be scared—just get ready for total enchantment. Del Toro takes the magic of the original story to a whole new level in this beautiful stop-motion feature. Ewan McGregor, Ron Perlman, Finn Wolfhard, and Cate Blanchett star in this fantastical adventure, with many more other stars making special appearances.
In this brand-new adventure film from Disney, we meet the Clade family, which is known for their legendary explorations. Jake Gyllenhaal stars as Searcher Clade, who is forced to go on a mission into uncharted and dangerous territory with his family. Get ready for laughs, lots of heartwarming moments, and the gorgeous, enchanting animation that Disney is known for.
If you were conscious during the ’90s, Matilda made an impact on your life. The Roald Dahl book about a psychic young bookworm girl who experiences major hardship at the hands of her family and school was an inspiration for young, introverted, sensitive nerds everywhere. This new Netflix musical adapation will get you practicing to move forks with your mind, too.
Can you even think about the rom-com genre without Julia Roberts coming to mind? (The answer is no.) Roberts is back in full force with her million-watt smile in Ticket to Paradise, partnering up with George Clooney. The two stars play a divorced couple who reunite in Bali to stop their daughter from marrying a seaweed farmer. Tune in to catch all of the adorable shenanigans and swoon-worthy romantic moments.
7
Weird: The Al Yankovic Story
Is Weird: The Al Yankovic Story a biopic, a comedy, a musical, or a long-running gag? Your guess is as good as ours. Weird Al has finally dropped his “100% accurate” film about how he became a famous parody musician. In Weird, Yankovic takes you on a hilarious journey—from the first moment he lays hands on an accordion, to his hot and heavy (alleged) relationship with Madonna. Daniel Radcliffe brings his own charm and off-kilter humor to the role, making Weird one of the funniest movies of the year.
Have you been dying for a Mad Men reunion? Well, you can get a taste of that in Confess, Fletch, where Jon Hamm plays Fletch, and John Slattery plays his old boss, Frank Jaffe. In the film, Fletch is investigating the whereabouts of some missing artwork when he becomes the primary suspect in a murder case. Hamm really hams it up (*slaps knee*) in Confess, Fletch, playing the charming, yet bumbling former journalist.
We’re finally seeing the return of quality action-comedy films. Bullet Train amps up the excitement with a big ensemble cast, including Brad Pitt, Aaron Taylor-Johnson, Brian Tyree Henry, Joey King, Michael Shannon and Sandra Bullock. (Just to name a few.) Follow five assassins on a bullet train as they try to take each other out—and get themselves caught up in hilarious shenanigans.
If you’ve so much as browsed the Internet in the past decade, you’ve probably seen a clip from Billy Eichner’s viral hit comedy series, Billy on the Street. Eichner has been making people laugh for years with his in-your-face attitude and quick-witted comebacks, and he’s finally taken his talents to the big screen. Bros is a big-hearted modern rom-com about LGBT relationships—and it has been a long time coming.
11
Marcel the Shell with Shoes On
Would you mind if we started this list with the film that made our hearts melt into a blissful little puddle? Marcel the Shell with Shoes On gives the tiny hero, previously seen in the popular web series of the same name, the big-screen treatment. Brought to life by the great Jenny Slate, Marcel the Shell delivered a mix of hilarity and heart that’s still getting us through this hellish year.
We’re not sure if we can relay exactly how much we loved Elvis better than Charles Taylor. In his review for Esquire, he wrote that director Baz Luhrmann managed to “treat Elvis as both a conscious transgressor and a conscious artist, the honor denied Elvis when he’s condescended to as an untutored folk artist, a hillbilly wild man who got lucky, or a curio that has as much weight as a reproduction of an old Coke ad.” Watch it!
13
Everything Everywhere All at Once
14
The Bob’s Burgers Movie
Need we sell you on The Bob’s Burgers Movie? If you’re a fan of the show—or, hell, even a newbie to this riotous animated kitchen—you’ll have a blast.
The Lost City had the potential to be the breakout, big-screen comedy we’ve been craving since we returned to theaters. It didn’t quite get there, but that doesn’t mean you should sleep on the movie. The Lost City is essentially a nearly two-hour-long hang with Sandra Bullock, Channing Tatum, and Daniel Radcliffe, which sounds like time well spent to us.
2022 has been thin on movie musicals, so we have to cheat a tiny bit with Marry Me‘s inclusion on this list. The rom-com makes good use of Jennifer Lopez’s music talents, OK? Plus, Marry Me stars Esquire favorite Owen Wilson, which is more than enough for us to sign on for the ride.
More Jackass? Sure, why not. America deserves more bonks on the head. Jackass Forever sees Johnny Knoxville, Steve-O, and the rest of the crew at their cringingly best, somehow inventing stunts that shock us all these years later. Maybe it’s what we all needed.
Turning Red is one of the most chaotic Pixar films to date, which is saying a lot. The film follows a little girl who Hulks out into a red panda when she gets angry. Relatable!
Coming from someone who rewatches Air Bud more than he’d like to admit, the world needs more dog movies. Thankfully, we got a dog movie named Dog this year. The Channing Tatum-led film is the comfort watch you’ve been looking for all year.
In Cyrano, a musical period drama, Peter Dinklage adds another instantly memorable role to his resume. Don’t miss the opportunity to cry in a dark movie theater again, especially considering that Joe Wright took up Cyrano‘s directing duties.
Every Valentine’s Day has a sleeper rom-com worth your time. This year it was I Want You Back, which is more than worth the watch, if only to hang out with Jenny Slate and Charlie Day for nearly two hours. Slate’s dry, quippy humor? Day running around like a maniac? A match made in heaven.
Firmly from the House That Netflix built, The Adam Project is a perfectly enjoyable, time-traveling action-comedy featuring Ryan Reynolds. A little algorithmic! But the premise, which follows an adult teaming up with the younger version of himself, is exciting enough for a weekend watch. And Reynolds is always enough of a hoot to make us want a sequel.
Of course, Scream has always been the horror franchise that’s in on the joke, riffing on the genre cliches we know all too well. But Scream 5, which features members of the original cast, is the first of the sequels to reach the heights our friend Ghostface managed in 1996.
25
The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent
Thankfully, The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent, the movie where Nic Cage plays Nic Cage, proved to be every bit as chaotic as we hoped it would be. Plus, it was nice to see our favorite space dad, Pedro Pascal, flex his acting chops outside of Mando’s suit.
Sirena He
Sirena He is an editorial assistant and writer who focuses on media and culture.
