The film “Is This Thing On?” does reflect many relationship in today’ society. I like how the script handles the situation involving marriage in trouble with a midlife crisis. Nicely developed, the story raises most of the flags in the relationship that the main characters finds themselves and try to navigate both red and green. Using one of the most prolific psychological traits in a couple’s marriage cycle, their ego, director and writer Bradley Cooper presses on dealing with life’s stumbling blocks until the moment they realizes the road the characters must take.
Alex (Will Arnett) has arrived at the center of middle age madness and unlucky for him he’s not handling it very well. So much so that divorce from his wife Tess (Laura Dern) is apparent on her part. A separation begins with Alex trying to deal with not having his two sons at his side, starting a downward spiral. When Alex and Tess meet at their friend’s house party and attempt to salvage their friendship, but at a loss Alex’s loneliness leads him to a local comedy club. Taking the open mic on the stage, the audience likes his rant on marriage. His performance sparks an idea that may put him back in the ballgame of life.
Moving the film along at a nice pace Director Bradley Cooper (Maestro, A Star is Born) works his characters into challenging positions that are not uncommon in today’s society. He complicates matters making the storyline a conceivable possibility before mudding the waters. It’s not a perfect drama, as Cooper’s character (Balls) in the film dominates a bit too much distracting the power of Will Arnett’s performance as Alex. Laura Dern does a good job of playing the disenchanted wife opposite Arnett, but you can see at times that she had to dramatize the role in order to keep it realistic.
Is This Thing On? has been rated R by the MPAA for language throughout, sexual references and some drug use. If you are or were a smoker, there’s several scenes of that also. For never say die lovers and followers of the wonderful actors, it’s a pretty good film.
Bonus Feature on Digital, 4K Blu-ray and DVD:
“Mic Drop: Making Is This Thing On?” – Go behind the scenes as filmmakers and cast open up about the inspirations behind this story of love, loss, and starting again. Get a glimpse into working with a remarkable ensemble and hear about how the team developed their comedy sets. *Bonus features may vary by product and retailer
Specifications and additional video information:
Cast: Will Arnett, Laura Dern, Bradley Cooper,
Directed by: Bradley Cooper
Written by: Will Arnett and Mark Chappell
Genre: Comedy, Drama
MPAA Rating: R for language throughout, sexual references and some drug use
Running Time: 2 hrs. 1 min.
Video Release Date: March 17, 2026
Language: English
Reviewed Format: Digital
Released on: 4K Blu-ray, DVD
Writer, critic, film editor John Delia, Sr. has been on all sides of the movie business from publications to film making. He has worked as a film critic with ACED Magazine for more than 20 years and other publications for a total of 40 years. He earned a Bachelor’s degree in communications from the University of Florida. John is a member of the Southeastern Film Critics Association and Critics Association of Central Florida Send John a message at jdelia@acedmagazine.com
