Cast your Vote
Posted 12/19/2025
Directed by Bradley Cooper, "Is This Thing On?" is a poignant yet humorous exploration of midlife transitions that has become a standout title in early 2026. The film stars Will Arnett as Alex Novak and Laura Dern as his wife, Tess, a couple navigating an "amicable" divorce after two decades of marriage. Loosely inspired by the real-life experiences of comedian John Bishop, the narrative moves away from traditional heartbreak tropes to focus on the quiet, often awkward vacuum left behind when a long-term partnership ends.
While Tess seeks out her lost identity by returning to her roots as a high-level athlete through coaching, Alex finds himself unexpectedly drawn to the stage. After wandering into a New York comedy club to escape his sparse "divorced dad" apartment, he discovers that stand-up offers a visceral, public outlet for his private grief, leading to a journey of self-exposure that is both cringeworthy and deeply moving.
The film’s strength lies in its grounded authenticity, bolstered by Cooper’s intimate directorial style and Arnett’s career-defining performance. To ensure the comedy felt genuine, Arnett performed unscripted sets in local clubs for weeks, with the film capturing the real-time vulnerability of a performer both bombing and succeeding in front of live crowds. Supporting performances from Bradley Cooper himself and veteran actors like Ciarán Hinds add layers of warmth to the story, grounding the existential dread of divorce in a sense of community and family.
Critics have lauded the movie for its "subtle, self-deprecating" tone, praising how it balances the absurdity of starting over at fifty with the heavy emotional labor of co-parenting and moving on. Ultimately, the film is less about the end of a marriage and more about the courage required to ask what comes next when the microphone is finally in your hand.
Movie descriptions were generated by Google Gemini.Real Votes. Real Results. Real-Time.
