Is This Thing On? Review: Comedy As Survival

Will Arnett and Laura Dern deliver two of the most electric performances of the year in Bradley Cooper’s third feature, Is This Thing On?.

Alex (Will Arnett, of BoJack Horseman) is freshly separated from his wife of 20 years, Tess (Laura Dern, of Marriage Story). There’s no bad blood between the two; it’s a mutual ending that seemed to have had its spark slowly burnt out for a little while. A whole new life opens up for Alex, who has to live alone in his new, slightly bare apartment, with moving boxes shoved into the corners, whilst Tess keeps the house that’s just outside of the city. Balancing their two children (Blake Kane and Calvin Knegten), and two dogs isn’t easy, but they manage, telling their kids they aren’t divorced, simply detached for a little while. They tell their friends the same thing, only saying they’re on a break. 

One night, Alex gazes into the window of a comedy club; something about this particular place is enticing him in. He’s told by the bouncer that it’s $15 entry, unless his name is on the list to perform. It’s a somewhat tempting offer, so he walks on in, gets a drink at the bar to calm his nerves, and heads downstairs to the stage, where his life changes forever. Barely any time passes before he gets in with the crowd of regulars and starts writing half funny material, using the split from his wife as the core of his humour. Things become a little more complicated when Tess is taken to a night of comedy after a dinner with an old friend. Alex doesn’t know that she is there, so he starts to make jokes that reveal intimate details Tess would rather not hear.

Arnett’s performance in Is This Thing On? is a genius comedy performance that every actor could only ever dream of. Every scene is entertaining, with so much comedic flare, but it’s also very poised. He’s clearly a family man himself, having children of his own out in the real world, and his dad instincts continuously glimmer throughout. Whilst Arnett’s roles have been extremely successful in the voice-over world, and in the comedy field in general as supporting characters, a leading man role has inevitably been waiting for him to come take center stage and show everyone what he’s really made of, and it’s really good stuff. 

Dern, too, is so elegant every time she’s on-screen. Her own extensive history of providing us with some great acting moments (Wild at Heart, Jurassic World, Big Little Lies) only allows us to add Is This Thing On? to this ever growing list. There’s emotion behind her eyes in whatever she does, and it’s no different with her performance here. Alex and Tess are a believable couple that are on the rockiest of rocks, telling people they aren’t divorced for their own sanity. But, it’s also because the second they say the ‘D word’ it’s final, and they can’t go drifting back to each other. 

Three films into Bradley Cooper’s directing run is proving to be something special. A Star is Born reigns high as having one of the best movie soundtracks of all time, as well as two critically acclaimed lead performances. Maestro may have been a little bit of Oscar bait, but the voters ran with it and nominated it seven times. Alas, it didn’t win in a singular category, but it gave Cooper the spirit to dive deeper into the complexities of families. He can clearly frame a relationship to make it seem as emotional as possible on-screen, seen in the most poignant light in Is This Thing On? compared to his other two features. Again, he has cast himself into a role, this time just a supporting character, but one who has great comedic timing, particularly in one of the first scenes of the film where he spills milk all over a rug. 

The story itself is a fascinating one, particularly how it’s loosely based on British comedian John Bishop’s separation from his wife, and his anecdotes of the Manchester comedy scene. Whilst a contrast to set the film in NYC over the northwest of England, it works well to flip the story slightly and make it into a US drama rather than a UK one. This worldwide obsession with the big apple makes it more appealing, especially with a big star like Cooper attached to the project. After all, it’s not a true to life story, just a general idea of a man falling in love with comedy and the emotions that come with a break-up. The subtle nod to Bishop being Scouse with Arnett wearing a Liverpool FC tank-top was a nice touch, though. 

There’s so much success in Is This Thing On?, which is destined to become a family-drama classic like Marriage Story and Kramer vs. Kramer. It has the essence of Noah Baumbach’s deeply charismatic and personal style, with a Cooper twist that leaves you wanting more even after the credits roll. One of the most touching yet zany movies of the year. 

Is This Thing On? was screened at the BFI London Film Festival on 14-19 October, 2025. The film will be released in select U.S. theaters on December 19, 2025.