MOVIE OF THE WEEK #1 (1/9/26): IS THIS THING ON?

"The most unrealistic thing about this movie is the fact my character got on the open mic at the Comedy Cellar on his first try!" Alex (Will Arnett) takes the stage in a scene from co-writer/director Bradley Cooper's IS THIS THING ON? Credit: Jason McDonald, Courtesy of Searchlight Pictures. © 2025 Searchlight Pictures. All Rights Reserved.  

CAST: Will Arnett | Laura Dern | Bradley Cooper | Andra Day | Christine Ebersole | Ciarán Hinds | Calvin Nnegten | Blake Kane | Amy Sedaris | Jordan Jensen | Chloe Radcliffe | Peyton Manning

WRITER: Bradley Cooper, Will Arnett & Mark Chappell (screenplay) | Will Arnett, John Bishop & Mark Chappell (story)

DIRECTOR: Bradley Cooper

TRAILER:

THE STORY: Alex Novak (Will Arnett) is getting divorced as he and his wife, former Olympic volleyball star Tess (Laura Dern), have reached an impasse in their marriage. Their 10 year-old boys (Blake Kane and Calvin Knegten) are seemingly handling the situation well, or at least better than Tess' best friend Christine (Andra Day) and Alex's mother (Christine Ebersole). Christine's actor husband Balls (Bradley Cooper), however, is usually too high to be too concerned.

While trying to make the best of a bad situation, Alex does what any man in his situation in New York City would do: Go to a bar for a drink. However, the bar he tries to enter has a $15 cover charge because it's open mic night. (While the Comedy Cellar is not named, the sign as evident in the background of the picture above makes that pretty clear.) He can get in for free, however, if he signs up on the list to do time on the stage.

So, that's what he does - to save $15.

But once he's on the stage, Alex discovers that the stage provides the one thing he hasn't had in his marriage in a long time: A safe space to explore and share his feelings, occasionally to the chuckles of approving strangers. As he continues to make time in his life to go on stage, he notices that he is happier than he's been in quite some time. 

What affect will that have on his relationships with Tess, his friends, his parents and his children? The answer is one that might not be a laughing matter at all.

THE REVIEW: Full disclosure: The author of this review is a professional stand-up comedian that has released two albums in 2013 and 2018 as well as a 1-hour YouTube special in 2023. (If you thought I wouldn't plug myself, you're insane ... Almost as insane as IS THIS THING ON?'s premise of stand-up comedy almost being a reasonable substitute for true therapy.) As such, knowing the ins and outs of the craft almost makes it hard to ignore things that simply would not happen if they weren't written into the script.

That being said, while IS THIS THING ON? may have stand-up comedy as a backdrop for its characters, this is NOT a movie about stand-up comedy. Instead, this is a movie about many of the things that often make for fodder for comedians when they take the stage: Navigating children, love, sex, marriage, getting older and the frustrations that come along with all of them - and the focus on the latter is what makes the film an enjoyable watch far more than any of the material Alex says on stage. 

There is a scene late in the film where, while on an escape to Oyster Bay with their friends, where Alex and Tess have the most conversation their respective characters have likely had in at least 10 years. They share their gripes with one another in a non-assaulting, matter-of-fact tone and make apologies for their mistakes, truly listening with intent in a way that shows the connection they still have. It is a moment of realizing what their lives are vs. what they used to be and more importantly, acceptance of both those things and each other - the punchline being that if they had done those things 10 years ago, they wouldn't be in the situation they find themselves in now.

Movies and television shows about stand-up comedy are often few and far between. For every entry that focuses on the craft like 1988's long-forgotten Tom Hanks vehicle Punchline or Showtime's brilliant but canceled I'm Dying Up Here, there are plenty others where it is often seen as – as is the case for Alex's friends and parents – the result of a mid-life crisis often pursued by degenerates. (Having been around enough stand-up comics in my day, however, I cannot act like that last part is not often without its validity. But I digress ...)

So, if you're looking to see a well-acted movie that features a nice story about discovering how to accept, forgive and find happiness, you'll likely enjoy IS THIS THING ON? If you go expecting a movie about a budding stand-up comedy star, however, the jokes on you – and you'd be better served watching many of the talented stand-up comics featured in minor – but important – roles throughout the film.

RATING (OUT OF FOUR BUCKETS OF POPCORN):