Is This Thing On?

Is This Thing On? (R)

Cast: Will Arnett, Laura Dern, Andra Day, Bradley Cooper

Release Date: December 19, 2025

Runtime: 2 hr. 1 mins.

Genre: Drama

As their marriage quietly unravels, Alex (Will Arnett) faces middle age and an impending divorce, seeking new purpose in the New York comedy scene while Tess (Laura Dern) confronts the sacrifices she made for their family—forcing them to navigate co-parenting, identity, and whether love can take a new form.

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Review

Is This Thing On? is a good old-fashioned character study: a slice-of-life drama about a man who rediscovers himself after having fallen into a lifeless rut. It's the kind of thing that most people can relate to on some level, and director Bradley Cooper (with a script credited to Cooper, star Will Arnett, and Mark Chappell) brings it to the screen with a minimum of manipulation and sentimentality. There are no grand swing-for-the-fence moments or scenes designed to wrench tears from even the driest eyes in the theater. Indeed, Cooper goes out of his way to remain low-key in his approach to the material, giving it maximum realism, albeit at the expense of emotional engagement. It's not that one doesn't feel for the characters in Is This Thing On?, but one can reasonably question the depth of that feeling.

Will Arnett, who plays the lead character Alex Novak, falls into the "revelation" category here. Like most people attending this film, I recognized him primarily for his comedic television work. I was more than a little surprised at his depth and breadth as a dramatic actor. He nails Alex not only when he's doing stand-up but in the quiet moments of boredom, surprise, sadness, and joy when he's not on stage. I don't know whether there's any buzz about Arnett getting Oscar attention for this performance, but it's certainly warranted.

The movie begins with a break-up. It's an amicable one, with Alex and his wife, Tess (Laura Dern), simply deciding that it's best for everyone if they go their separate ways. With little fanfare and no real drama, he moves out and they adjust. One night, he finds himself outside of a bar without the money to pay the cover charge, but he learns that if he signs up to perform (it's a comedy club), he can get in for free. His first time on stage isn't a rousing success, but Alex gets bitten by the performance bug. Soon, he's addicted and fully immersed in the culture. It's only a matter of time before he moves to a bigger venue and his secret gets out of the bag.

Cooper has fun with the "revelation" scene. He makes sure the audience can see it coming from a mile away so we can enjoy the build-up to the moment. It's perhaps the only time in the film when he milks anything. A lot of what happens afterward is expected, but there are some delightful moments, and thankfully we don't end up stuck in some weepy melodrama where Alex's single post-separation indiscretion becomes a major stumbling block.

The best aspects of the film, aside from Arnett's performance, are the stand-up sequences. These have all the authenticity one might expect from someone getting his feet wet and having more than a few jokes fall completely flat. There's a hit-and-miss variability to these types of amateur performances that Is This Thing On? perfectly captures. That's no doubt due to the familiarity of Arnett to these venues. The authenticity he brings to the writing side of things can't be underestimated.

Searchlight Pictures' decision to release this theatrically reflects an optimism about how adult drama can fare in today's bleak theatrical environment. While this might have been a beloved under-the-radar success story as recently as 10 or 15 years ago, it seems a hard sell in 2025, destined to play in those tiny back-of-the-multiplex auditoriums reserved for titles no one sees. However, this is a perfect streaming experience, and perhaps that's where it will find an audience. Alex is certainly worth spending a couple of hours with, even if the slow pace is better modulated for a night in than a night out.

© 2025 James Berardinelli

Is This Thing On? (R)

Review

Synopsis