Is This Thing On?
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- Trailer 1 (02:23)
Movie Info & Cast
Synopsis
As their marriage unravels, Alex faces middle age and divorce, seeking new purpose in the New York comedy scene. Meanwhile, his wife Tess confronts sacrifices made for their family, forcing them to navigate co-parenting and identities.
Cast
- Will Arnett
- Dylan Bickel
- Laila Boccella
- Jonathan Burke
- Reggie Conquest
- Bradley Cooper
- Andra Day
- Laura Dern
- Christine Ebersole
- Gabe Fazio
Moviegoers are saying
Bradley Cooper's latest directorial effort finds audiences torn between appreciation for its authentic portrayal of marriage and comedy therapy, and bewilderment at Cooper casting himself as a character literally named 'Balls.' The film resonates as a surprisingly honest exploration of identity loss in marriage, though many viewers can't get past the cringe factor of divorced open mic nights.
Top Mentions
Summary generated from the text of Atom User reviews
Letterboxd User Reviews
3.4
161.4K
42.4K
42.4K
- Oct 26, 2025
Oh, sure, Laura Dern, why don't you go ahead and divorce the guy who's wearing a $5000 suit, COME ON
James (Schaffrillas)Oct 12, 2025another coop film where he’s Working Through It. huge win for the bojack horseman community, bradley cooper is basically playing mr peanut butter. need more movies about how everyone should find a hobby
KarstenMay 9, 2026Movie was good but if a divorced open micer tried to talk to me and my friends at the comedy cellar for longer than 10 seconds we would beat him over the head with a spiked baseball bat
stavvybaby2 - Dec 23, 2025
so funny to say "i know a great place around the corner" and it's fully the comedy cellar
siviOct 24, 2025100% doing this when my marriage implodes. shoutout to Bradley Cooper for casting himself as a character named "Balls." (and then somehow elevating Balls into the best part of the movie)
davidehrlichNov 6, 2025Bradley Cooper’s character names in his directed films: - Jackson Maine - Leonard Bernstein - Balls
jonathan fujii - Oct 14, 2025
sorry under pressure needle drop you will never be aftersun
aaronOct 14, 2025finally, a director who appreciates will arnett's raw sexual magnetism the way I do. weird that it's bradley cooper
Ellie ✨Dec 18, 2025Kind of the most “what the helly” thing I’ve ever seen in my life. Coop on camera a minor miracle; in Balls we trust, etc. Why did they all sing amazing grace? I thought I was having a stroke
fran hoepfner
Queue Community Reviews
85%
Community 1,264
Top Reviews
- Thomas Joyce likedIs This Thing On?
Is This Thing On? is a much more lowkey directorial effort from Cooper. He plays it cool, the whole film plays out less ‘performative’ - feeling more like a film he actually wanted to make opposed to it being a good idea to make. Big fan of comedian John Bishop, of whom the story is based off,…
SophieXander is "meh" onIs This Thing On?This is almost a like, and I did enjoy bits of this, and a few parts were really funny, but it really did start to drag in the middle where I just kept checking how long was actually left. I couldn’t help comparing John Bishop to Will Arnett, and I’m just not sure the story translates itself well…
Will V. likedIs This Thing On?Nice movie. Great acting and decent pacing. Somewhat dramatic because of the realism but I probably would not recommend as a comedy movie. Not really sure why, just dont think this movie is for everyone… but it is moving. The standup was decently funny but not great, was kinda expecting more. TBH…
- Jollfoogfl lovedIs This Thing On?
9.1 I thought this was a great movie overall. I’m not a big shaky camera guy but it wasn’t throughout. Will Arnet was great in this so was Jordan Jensen and the wife. It wasn’t incredible there were times were it fell flat and it definitely could’ve been slightly shorter. I just really loved…
Dominic likedIs This Thing On?8/10 Being a big Will Arnett fan, this was a great watch. The cast is really good and I enjoyed the plot. The actual comedy isn’t anything special but that’s not really the point of the film. I really like and agree with the ideas this movie is trying to communicate to the viewer
Bennie likedIs This Thing On?Was about halfway through when I learned Bradley Cooper isn’t the main character but actually someone else in the film. Anyways, love a good divorced dad apartment feature, that’s how you know you’re in for a scary ride. Very honest portrayal of divorce and midlife identity. 7
- Matt Ortiz lovedIs This Thing On?
The intended outcome of this film is that Bradley Cooper delivers a finely tuned dramedy that should get more recognition than it will. The unintended consequence is going to be a new wave of middle aged white men flooding stand up open mics. Full review: https://boxd.it/cB66sh
SteveO likedIs This Thing On?The real standouts are Will Arnett and Laura Dern. Their struggle to be happy in a suffering marriage makes for a captivating drama. The mic was loud enough for each of them to hear each other’s wants. Using their outlets to be happy might be a cure for all of the audience too.
jam jammy jambam lovedIs This Thing On?Both dern and arnett were phenomenal. Cooper had the biggest laughs in my screening. Really heartfelt. Did not like that one line towards the end, you’ll probably know which one. The under pressure payoff was nice. So glad it’s used in a happy context here. Aftersun :(
Atom Users Reviews
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Reviews
- DRDemetrius Reynolds
This movie hits so many cords because it’s true that identity can get lost in marriage but beyond that is the communication and being able to translate what a partner need in their time of need. Great redemption of broken love restored in this film. Kudos to the cast and…
GCGrace CabunocHonest comedy can be the best therapy.... at least in this marriage scenario. I think this is a good watch for newlyweds or couples contemplating marriage. 🤷🏽♀️
GDGerri Davillier - SPScott ProbeckABAaron BoyceJCJames Alphonse Gericho Castillo
- CSCarsten SchmidtBLBruce LangsteinerGMGary Moses
Metacritic
Dec 19, 2025
Just when this thing seems dead, though, the movie picks up considerably, and the much-better second half nearly redeems it. I give the credit to an experienced conjurer of the unexpected triumph: Peyton Manning.
Kyle Smith
Wall Street Journal
Dec 16, 2025
A deeply felt film about one teetering marriage, and a work whose power sneaks up on you slowly.
Jocelyn Noveck
The Associated Press
Dec 15, 2025
Is This Thing On? isn’t a dishy, insider’s view of the New York comedy scene, and it isn’t trying to be. It knows that its best material lies elsewhere.
Justin Chang
The New Yorker
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Is This Thing On? (2025) family-friendly?
The movie has been rated as R, meaning that Under 17 requires an adult accompaniment.
How long is Is This Thing On? (2025)?
The movie is 2hr long.
What's Is This Thing On? (2025) about?
As their marriage unravels, Alex faces middle age and divorce, seeking new purpose in the New York comedy scene. Meanwhile, his wife Tess confronts sacrifices made for their family, forcing them to navigate co-parenting and identities.
Who's the cast of Is This Thing On? (2025)?
- Will Arnett as Alex Novak
- Dylan Bickel as Comedy Cellar Patron
- Laila Boccella as School kid
- Jonathan Burke
- Reggie Conquest
- Bradley Cooper
- Andra Day
- Laura Dern as Tess Novak
- Christine Ebersole
- Gabe Fazio
Who's the director behind Is This Thing On? (2025)?
Bradley Cooper directed Is This Thing On? (2025).
Who produced Is This Thing On? (2025)?
Will Arnett, Bradley Cooper and Weston Middleton produced Is This Thing On? (2025).
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