Facing middle age and an impending divorce, Alex finds new purpose in the New York comedy scene, while his wife, Tess, confronts the sacrifices she made for their family.
Director: Bradley Cooper
Cast: Will Arnett, Laura Dern, Cooper, Andra Day, Amy Sedaris, Sean Hayes, Christine Ebersole, Ciarán Hinds
Release Date: January 2, 2026
Genre: Comedy, Drama
Rated R for language throughout, sexual references and some drug use.
Runtime: 2h 4m
Review:
Bradley Cooper’s third time behind the camera, Is This Thing On?, continues to show his impressive prowess at finding authentic emotion in relationship dramas and continues to get the most out of his performers, with Will Arnett delivering his best dramatic performance paired with a strong turn form Laura Dern. This story isn’t as grandiose as his previous film, which dealt with large personalities and their relationships with this one focusing more on something much more grounded by exploring the fractures of a marriage. It’s not groundbreaking by any stretch of the imagination but there’s a fascinating flow to the story that slowly reveals the meat of the story and what is driving these characters apart. There’s an air of authenticity to it all with Arnett and Dern’s interactions filled with lived in subtext of resentment that simmers underneath even as they do their best to be adults about their separation. Arnett’s character finding some form of catharsis by doing open mics at comedy clubs plays more like therapy than actual stand up. If you are looking for something that’s focused more on the stand-up world you won’t find any deep exploration of that world with it only touching on the surface of it. Those moments serve a purpose dramatically, such as an onstage meltdown in the final act, but they don’t play as realistically as the relationship side especially since it’s set in the super competitive Manhattan comedy scene. In the same vein, Cooper’s onscreen character feels strangely out of place since he’s so cartoonish and over the top that he’s jarring every time he pops up onscreen. These aren’t huge missteps, but they are noticeable enough to be distracting when those moments pop up. Thankfully, Will Arnett and Laura Dern’s nuanced performances are both strong enough to make it easier to overlook those issues. Arnett gives you a real sense of the internal turmoil and sadness that his character is going through while he maintains a brave face around his family. Laura Dern’s turn is just as textured with those things left unsaid between the two lingers in the air before they both finally have it out in the final act and bear their souls with unchained honesty. It’s messy and uncomfortable but it feels real before the film decides to end on cleaner, safer ending than expected.
B+
