Is This Thing On? is a 2025 American comedy film directed by Bradley Cooper written by Will Arnett, Mark Chappelle and Bradley Cooper. The film is set for a US release on December 19, 2025.
Based on a true story by British comedian John Bishop, the film presents a deeply personal and empathetic look at the Middle Ages, identity crises, and the breakdown of family bonds. The main story follows a married couple — Alec and Tess — as they navigate a divorce with humor and poignancy, as they try to maintain their friendship and shared care for their children.
The emotional center of the film is in the transformation — Alec (Will Arnett) finds that the stand-up comedy scene in New York City's West Village gives him a way to express his grief, try a new beginning, and build a new sense of self. Meanwhile, Tess (Laura Dern) confronts the sacrifices she has made for her family and begins to find her own path. It is a balance of loss and the possibility of rebirth - the director relies on warmth, naturalness and a pinch of bitter humor to create a story that is both tender and radiantly human.
The script is a mix of drama and comedy of life—an observation that manages to pay homage to both the New York stand-up scene and the complex nature of love and breakup. This is not a movie about quick success, but about those quiet moments of awakening when one realizes that the path to oneself lies in breaking old patterns.
