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Is This Thing On?
2025 American film From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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Is This Thing On? is a 2025 American comedy-drama film directed by Bradley Cooper, from a screenplay he co-wrote with Will Arnett and Mark Chappell. It is loosely inspired by the life of British comedian John Bishop.[1] It stars Arnett, Laura Dern, Cooper, Andra Day, Amy Sedaris, Sean Hayes, Christine Ebersole and Ciarán Hinds.
The film had its world premiere as the closing film of the 2025 New York Film Festival on October 10, and it is scheduled to be released in the United States by Searchlight Pictures on December 19.
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Premise
After many years together, Alex and Tess have reached an amicable end to their marriage, thus beginning the awkward stage of figuring out how to live separately while raising two boys and maintaining their friendships. Alex discovers a new hobby and, in the process, learns more about himself and his relationship.
Cast
- Will Arnett as Alex Novak
- Laura Dern as Tess Novak
- Andra Day as Christine, Balls's wife
- Bradley Cooper as Balls, Alex's best friend
- Amy Sedaris
- Sean Hayes as Stephen, Geoffrey's newlywed husband
- Christine Ebersole as Marilyn, Alex's mother
- Ciarán Hinds as Jan, Alex's father
- Scott Icenogle as Geoffrey, Stephen's newlywed husband
- Chloe Radcliffe
- Jordan Jensen
- Peyton Manning
- Reggie Conquest
- James Tom
- Gabe Fazio
- Blake Kane
- Calvin Knegten
- Derek Gaines
- Matt Richards
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Production
It was announced in June 2023 that Bradley Cooper would be directing a film, which he would star in alongside Will Arnett. Arnett would co-write the screenplay alongside Mark Chappell.[2] Emily Blunt was reported as being part of the cast later that month.[3] In December 2024, Sean Hayes joined the cast.[4] In February 2025, Cooper announced Laura Dern and Andra Day as part of the cast, in addition to announcing he would also serve as the B camera operator for the film.[5][6] Filming wrapped in April, with additional casting announced including Amy Sedaris, Peyton Manning, Christine Ebersole, and Ciarán Hinds.[7]
Principal photography was scheduled to begin in September 2024 in Los Angeles.[8][9] Filming reportedly began by January 2025 in New York City.[10] Production wrapped on April 16, 2025, with Searchlight eyeing a fall release.[7]
Release
Is This Thing On? had its world premiere as the closing film of the New York Film Festival on October 10, 2025,[11] and it is scheduled to be released in the United States on December 19, 2025.[12]
Reception
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Critical response
On the review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, 95% of 21 critics' reviews are positive.[13] Metacritic, which uses a weighted average, assigned the film a score of 71 out of 100, based on 11 critics, indicating "generally favorable" reviews.[14]
Cooper's direction was praised.[15][16] In The Hollywood Reporter, David Rooney wrote that Cooper's "unassuming" direction helped ground the film's emotional connection to the New York setting and imbued it with "a sweetness that’s never cloying, a generosity of spirit that’s never unearned".[16] Close-up scenes in which Arnett is filmed performing his stand-up routines were emphasized by both Rooney and Tim Grierson from Screen International as moments where Cooper deftly amplified the film's intimacy in collaboration with Matthew Libatique's cinematography.[15][16]
Arnett and Dern's performances were also well-received.[17][18] Reviewers including Alison Willmore and Adrian Horton found Arnett to be well cast, bringing a necessary self-deprecation and dry humor from past comic experience that augmented his credibility in the role and endeared audiences to connect with his character's journey.[17][18] Siddhant Adlakha from Observer joined them in praising Dern for her chemistry with Arnett and her vulnerability, established within a mix of meditative introspections and spirited emotions, that served to heighten the "sometimes barbed and sometimes witty, always charged" mutual dynamic between the two characters.[17][18][19]
Accolades
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References
External links
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