Is This Thing On?

VIFF REVIEW: BY DARREN ZAKUS

January 12, 2026

4 OUT OF 5 STARS

Is This Thing On? soars due to the phenomenal performances of Will Arnett and Laura Dern, but it is the sentimental story of a marriage on the rocks and the rediscovery of human connection and happiness under the careful direction of Bradley Cooper that delivers a deeply moving cinematic experience that will warm your heart.

One of the most exciting actors turned directors in recent years has been Bradley Cooper, taking audiences and critics by storm with his remake of the classic A Star is Born starring himself and Lady Gaga. His second film continued in the realm of music and relationship dramas as he brought the life of renowned composer Leonard Bernstein and his wife Felicia Montealegre in Maestro, continuing the critical acclaim of his directorial feature film. Branching away from the world of music and transitioning into the comedy genre for his latest film, Cooper’s latest film which stars and was co-written by his longtime friend Will Arnett remains within the realm of the relationship drama but is easily the most intimate and vulnerable film audiences have seen from Cooper to date. Inspired by the life of British comedian John Bishop, the film explores the breakdown of a marriage and reconnection as a husband and wife re-discover happiness in their respective lives and with each other, featuring two excellent performances from Arnett and Laura Dern that makes Is This Thing On? one of the most endearing films of 2025. 

Arnett is best known for his comedic performances, and while the character of Alex requires comedic talent (though more amateur than Arnett himself), every comedic actor has that breakout dramatic performance that showcases their true range as an actor. And that role for Arnett is Alex in Is This Thing On? As Alex, Arnett finds the vulnerability of a man at a crossroads in life, trying to rediscover himself after separating from his wife as he discovers a new found joy in standup comedy. It’s hard not to imagine that the vulnerability is drawn upon his own divorce as the honesty in his performance is unbelievable, as Arnett walks the tightrope of heartfelt character development and discovery, and painful self-examination, delivering the defining performance of his career. 

Equally as impressive as Arnett, which should be no surprise, is the incomparable Dern as Alex’s wife Tess. Whenever Dern appears in a film, audiences know Dern will be fantastic, and she is exactly that every second she is on screen. From her natural warmth that creates a caring mother and partner in Tess, giving emotional depth to Tess’s feelings of abandonment by Alex and building emotionally powerful moments between Alex and Tess as they explore what went wrong (or didn’t) in their relationship, Dern is radiant from start to finish. The pairing between Arnett and Dern is beautiful, with them finding a tenderness to their partnership as two individuals who deeply care for one another but have lost track of each other in this crazy journey called life, building the film’s emotional core. Supporting them is Cooper, Andra Day, Christine Ebersole and Ciarán Hinds, all of whom are wonderful and make for memorable characters with moments of laughter, brutal honesty and care as Alex and Tess navigate the latest stage in their marriage, helping to propel the main characters towards a deeper understanding of their own happiness and their marriage.

On the surface, Is This Thing On? appears to be about the breakdown of a marriage, but it is actually about something far more meaningful. While the film opens with Alex and Tess calling it quits on their marriage and separating, no particular event necessarily ended their relationship. Each had sacrificed a part of them and their happiness to build their family and their life together, forgetting to have each other’s back and championing each other’s dreams, and it is this loss that Cooper explores in his latest film. Co-written with Arnett and Mark Chappell, the entire screenplay is filled with a profound honesty as Alex and Tess navigate their new lives without each other as their partner, Alex discovering his love of standup comedy and Tess going back to volleyball after retiring from the sports years before to start a family. It’s an intimate character drama full of moments of profound vulnerability, love and laughter, capturing every aspect of an ordinary life as Alex and Tess open up to each other about why their marriage failed and seeing how that brings their family closer together. 

There is no question that the standup comedy routines are hilarious, or any of the interactions with Alex’s parents with a scene stealing Ebersole as Alex’s mother Marilyn, but it is the moments between Alex and Tess that create the beating heart of the film. Being a relationship drama, you can see the narrative similarities to Cooper’s previous two films, but there is a restraint and quietness to his direction in this film that proves that he does not have to deliver the biggest moments captured on film (like shooting at Coachella for A Star Is Born or conducting a show-stopping live performance in Maestro) to deliver something truly magical on film, especially that tender final scene set to David Bowie and Queen’s “Under Pressure.” It’s all about what is really important in life, human connection and love, everything that we could use more of in today’s world, and one film that if audiences give a chance to, they will no doubt fall in love with.

With his latest film, Bradley Cooper not only confirms his status as a director as three for three, but he strips back his directorial style to create a moving relationship drama that packs all the laughter, heart and self discovery that any excellent adult drama should have. Continuing to excel in the realm of adult relationship dramas, Cooper and his co-writers find a universal theme of growing apart and use the world of stand up comedy to explore what allows a relationship to survive decades into it with heartfelt moments of emotional honesty, tenderness and great laughter that creates one crowd pleasing viewing. Led by two gorgeous performances from Will Arnett and Laura Dern who find an honesty and vulnerability in this relationship drama of a marriage that is unravelling, Bradley Cooper’s masterfully builds a film about what is really important in life, love and happiness that is equally as hilarious as it is moving, ensuring that Is This Thing On? is a beautifully heartwarming experience from start to finish.