IS THIS THING ON? (DISNEY+) (2026)

SYNOPSIS: 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.

MOVIE REVIEW:

Unlike his first two, far more polished and grand works, Bradley Cooper’s third directorial effort adopts a documentary, guerrilla-style approach to tell a story loosely inspired by British stand-up comedian John Bishop.

Is This Thing On? begins with a couple, Alex (Will Arnett) and Tess (Laura Dern), on the verge of divorce. Alex moves out to live alone in a small apartment while Tess remains in the family home with their two sons. One night, Alex signs up for an open mic oddly claiming he can’t afford the $15 entry fee despite later being able to purchase a new Volkswagen ID. Buzz. Surprisingly, his jokes about his failing marriage land well with the audience, earning him an invitation to return.

Written by Cooper, Arnett, and Mark Chappell, the film often feels like a dramatized therapy session for struggling marriages. After a night out with a male friend, Tess rediscovers her feelings for Alex, while he, following a one-night stand with a fellow comedian, realizes his love for his wife remains intact. What unfolds is a continuous stream of disagreements and miscommunication. Instead of traditional therapy sessions, the film suggests that stand-up comedy might offer an unconventional path through marital turmoil.

The supporting cast includes Alex and Tess’s friends Balls (Cooper) and Christine (Andra Day), as well as a gay couple, Stephen (Sean Haynes) and Geoffrey (Scott Icenogle), who remain unsure whether Alex and Tess are breaking up or reconciling. While Balls and Christine have their own marital issues, the film would have benefitted from focusing more tightly on Alex and Tess. That said, Cooper is charming in his small role as Balls, a wannabe actor and Alex’s loyal friend.

For those unfamiliar with Bishop’s work, this supposed exploration of how stand-up comedy reshaped a marriage can feel stifled and, at times, exhausting despite the likable performances from Arnett and Dern. The emotional core is present but it struggles to rise above its repetitive and somewhat bland premise.

Although Is This Thing On? flies largely under the radar compared to Cooper’s earlier, award-recognized projects, it still demonstrates his growth as a filmmaker and his willingness to experiment across different genres.

MOVIE RATING:

Review by Linus Tee