There have been many exciting actor-turned-directors in Hollywood, and one on that list is Bradley Cooper. He reimagined a classic tale with A Star Is Born (2018), and with Maestro (2023), he crafted a technical achievement on the life of Leonard Bernstein. Now with Is This Thing On?, Cooper has offered something more stripped down—a gentle dramedy, disguised as a delve into rediscovery, love, and learning to move on. It reads more like a deep breath and less like a career statement.
Taking place in New York City, Is This Thing On? focuses on Alex Novak (Will Arnett), who is dealing with life after the amicable end of a twenty-six-year marriage to his wife, Tess (Laura Dern). There was no fight, no cheating, just the realization that neither is the person they were when they got married. Despite remaining friendly and co-parenting their ten-year-old twin boys, Alex continues to feel lost. One night at the Comedy Cellar, he comes across an open mic and the unexpected happens.
What initially was just an experimental outing becomes an emotional release, standing on stage and being honest and unfiltered. This leads to Alex slowly rediscovering his voice, intimacy, and a combination of acceptance and belonging with other comedians. Through his material, he learns what it means to reinvent yourself personally and find a type of peace many yearn for.
Cooper’s direction is a strength of Is This Thing On?. He handles both the big, messy group scenes and the film’s quieter, more thoughtful moments with skill. He lets each scene play out naturally. The more somber, reflective scenes will sometimes cut to black, as will the more dramatic, heart-pounding ones. Although it’s not sudden, it feels like a conclusion. The narrative then picks back up, usually in a calm setting, implying that time has passed. Minutes later in some cases, weeks later in others. Life continues even when we’re not watching, with important events happening off-screen.
The continued collaboration between Cooper and cinematographer Matthew Libatique is another highlight of the film, particularly in the stand-up scenes. Rather than the usual shot-reverse-shot sequences typical of switching between the stage and the audience, close-ups of Alex are presented that are very tight and continuous. This creates an anxiety-inducing effect that makes the viewer caught in his perspective. But it’s not just during these sequences where this is applied—Cooper and Libatique choose to keep it going off-stage. As the relationship between Alex and Tess worsens, the framing gets more claustrophobic. The movie hardly gives them or the viewers any room, which helps heighten the tension between the characters.
Arnett—who co-wrote In This Thing On? with Cooper and Mark Chappell—turns in arguably the best work of his career. Alex does not come off as a naturally funny person, which is a purposeful decision to widen Arnett’s performance range. Loved ones are taken aback when Alex attempts stand-up, as it feels completely out of character for him. For someone primarily known in the comedy world, it’s essential to see Arnett convincingly represent a man quietly unraveling as the film progresses. This transformation only works because of Arnett’s credibility as Alex. It was also nice to see him portray a character with more vulnerability, and it felt like a perfect companion to his voice work on BoJack Horseman (2014-2020).
Matching Arnett’s work is Dern as Tess, who manages her sorrow with restraint and nuance. Her acting has a gentle realism, especially in scenes with Arnett, where their chemistry showcases heartbreaking depth. Also worthy of mention is Cooper as Alex’s goofy but loyal best friend, Balls (yes, that’s really his name). He brings enough affection and humor to provide levity to the more serious moments. After devastating turns in his previous directorial outings, it’s really refreshing for Cooper to loosen himself and have fun.
Is This Thing On? may not be the talk of the town when it comes to awards-season chatter, but that’s not the point. Although it may begin as an easy premise—an unlucky, newly single father taking on stand-up comedy as a coping mechanism—the material evokes something more thoughtful and relatable. It’s a film about one’s desire to be seen, as well as the quiet will it takes to be honest with oneself.
Review Courtesy of Bryan Sudfield
Feature Image Credit to Searchlight Pictures via Variety