Bradley Cooper (The Hangover; Nightmare Alley) has been acting since the late ‘90s, but it wasn’t until 2018 that he decided to try his hand at filmmaking. His first feature film, a remake of A Star is Born, stars Cooper as a hard-drinking country singer who falls in love with a talented young singer who then quickly becomes a star. The film scored eight Oscar nominations and won the Academy Award for Best Original Song. Cooper’s second film, Maestro (2023), recounts the lifelong relationship between conductor-composer Leonard Bernstein (Cooper) and actress Felicia Montealegre Cohn Bernstein (Carey Mulligan), and received seven Academy Award nominations. Interestingly, his third attempt at directing, the comedy Is This Thing On?, is Cooper’s most human film to date and the one that should rightfully, firmly establish him as a serious filmmaker. Is This Thing On? sees Cooper taking on a supporting role as the film realistically explores the innermost details of a crumbling marriage and how comedy can be the key to healing.
L-R: Laura Dern as Tess and Will Arnett as Alex in IS THIS THING ON? Photo courtesy of Searchlight Pictures. © 2025 Searchlight Pictures. All Rights Reserved.
Loosely based on the life of English comedian John Bishop and written by Cooper, Will Arnett, and Mark Chappell (See How They Run), Is This Thing On? stars Will Arnett (Arrested Development) and Laura Dern (Wild at Heart; Inland Empire) as Alex and Tess Novak, a longtime couple who decides it might be time to end their marriage. As the two of them attempt to navigate their lives while separated after a 20-year marriage, Alex spontaneously discovers the world of stand-up comedy while Tess pursues a career change and returns to her love of volleyball. Astonishingly, the separation, Alex’s therapeutic use of comedy, and Tess’s rediscovery of her passion in life, might just be what bring them together as a couple.
Bradley Cooper as Balls in IS THIS THING ON? Photo Credit: Searchlight Pictures/Jason McDonald, Photo courtesy of Searchlight Pictures. © 2025 Searchlight Pictures. All Rights Reserved.
Believing he’s found a rewarding outlet for processing his feelings about his impending divorce, Alex secretly continues doing stand-up, until one night when Tess unknowingly ends up in the bar where he’s performing and sees a room full of strangers laughing at the private details of their marriage which are on public display. Tess’s discovery of Alex’s secret life forces the couple to finally confront each other, and their biggest fears about their relationship, face to face.
Will Arnett as Alex in IS THIS THING ON? Photo courtesy of Searchlight Pictures. © 2025 Searchlight Pictures. All Rights Reserved.
Alex and Tess still socialize as a couple with their college friends, Balls (Cooper) and his wife, Christine (Andra Day), a somewhat chaotic couple who are usually not sober but ultimately seem to love each other. Balls is a self-obsessed but affable actor who feels a lot like Cooper poking fun at himself, which proves to be comedic and highly entertaining.
L-R: Will Arnett as Alex and Laura Dern as Tess in IS THIS THING ON? Photo courtesy of Searchlight Pictures. © 2025 Searchlight Pictures. All Rights Reserved.
Dern and Arnett do an excellent job of effortlessly radiating the easygoing chemistry of a couple who have been together for a long time and the familiarity that comes with that kind of close relationship. These feel like real people sharing real emotions and the fact that Is This Thing On? plays out more like a documentary than a traditional narrative is refreshing and unique. In addition to directing, Cooper serves as a B-camera operator and frequently utilizes handheld cameras for close-ups of the actors’ faces, giving the audience intimate glimpses into the couple’s thoughts and emotions as they unpack the prickly aspects of their troubled marriage.
L-R: Ciarán Hinds as Jan, Will Arnett as Alex, Calvin Knegten as Jude, and Christine Ebersole as Marilyn in IS THIS THING ON? Photo Credit: Searchlight Pictures/Jason McDonald, Photo courtesy of Searchlight Pictures. © 2025 Searchlight Pictures. All Rights Reserved.
Every relationship is different, but it’s easy to find something relatable in the up close and personal revelations Alex and Tess share with each other and themselves. Is This Thing On? succeeds at being a deeply personal examination of one couple’s crumbling relationship, but it also works as an ensemble piece. Balls takes too many edibles and talks endlessly about a role he’s won in a new movie, and Day’s Christine isn’t shy about telling Alex how she really feels about his troubled relationship with Tess. Actors Christine Ebersole (Licorice Pizza) and Ciarán Hinds (There Will Be Blood) give terrific performances as Alex’s parents, Jan and Marilyn, who also give unsolicited advice about Alex’s marriage. In one tender scene Jan shares the wisdom that the kind of understanding relationship he has with Alex’s mother is rare. Very rare.
L-R: Will Arnett as Alex and Laura Dern as Tess in IS THIS THING ON? Photo Credit: Searchlight Pictures/Jason McDonald, Photo courtesy of Searchlight Pictures. © 2025 Searchlight Pictures. All Rights Reserved.
Tightly constructed and featuring sensational, credible performances from Arnett and Dern, as well as exceptional and sometimes brutally honest support from Cooper, Day, Ebersole, and Hinds, the film triumphantly showcases empathy and self-reflection with brilliant comedic accents. Using comedy as a form of therapy, Is This Thing On? wonderfully utilizes the feel of guerilla-style filmmaking while taking the audience on a deeply personal, heart-wrenchingly funny, and sobering journey of self-discovery with Alex, Tess, and the people they love.
Is This Thing On? Special Features*:
- Mic Drop: Making Is This Thing On? – Go behind the scenes as filmmakers and cast open up about the inspirations behind this story of love, loss, and starting again. Get a glimpse into working with a remarkable ensemble and hear about how the team developed their comedy sets.
*Bonus features may vary by product and retailer
Available on VOD and digital February 10th, 2026.
Available on 4K UHD, Blu-ray, and DVD March 17th, 2026.
Available on Hulu March 20th, 2026.
Final Score: 4 out of 5.
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Categories: Home Video, Reviews, streaming
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