🎤Is This Thing On? (2025) – Bradley Cooper’s Bittersweet Ode to Love, Laughter & Letting Go: Cast, Plot, Release Date & Where to Watch

“Sometimes, the hardest act isn’t on stage — it’s the one you perform every day at home.”

Hollywood’s own Bradley Cooper returns behind the camera with Is This Thing On?, a tender, funny, and deeply human comedy-drama that explores what happens when love evolves instead of ending. Starring Will Arnett and Laura Dern, this film is set to close the 63rd New York Film Festival on October 10, before hitting theaters on December 19, 2025, courtesy of Searchlight Pictures.

💔 The End of Love — Or Just Its Evolution?

Set against the bustling backdrop of New York City, Is This Thing On? follows Alex Novak (Will Arnett) and Tess Novak (Laura Dern), a couple whose marriage is quietly dissolving after years of partnership, parenting, and shared dreams.

Alex, a middle-aged father facing an impending divorce, finds himself adrift — until he rediscovers life through the New York comedy scene, a world that offers him both humiliation and healing. Meanwhile, Tess is forced to confront the sacrifices she made for family and identity, asking herself: What happens when the life you built no longer fits who you’ve become?

As they navigate co-parenting, aging, and self-discovery, Is This Thing On? becomes less a breakup story and more a reflection on how love transforms — sometimes painfully, sometimes beautifully.

🎭 The Cast: When Comedy Meets Catharsis

At the heart of this emotional balancing act is Will Arnett, whose dry humor and emotional vulnerability make Alex one of his most layered performances yet. Laura Dern, as Tess, brings raw honesty and quiet grace to a woman rediscovering her voice after years of being someone else’s anchor.

Adding to the ensemble are Andra Day, Amy Sedaris, Sean Hayes, Christine Ebersole, and Ciarán Hinds, with Bradley Cooper himself stepping in as Arnie, Alex’s confidant and voice of reason — or perhaps his conscience.

Together, this cast paints a portrait of modern relationships that are equal parts messy, funny, and profoundly real.

🎬 Behind the Mic: Bradley Cooper’s Most Personal Direction Yet

After the critical acclaim of A Star Is Born and Maestro, Bradley Cooper trades operatic grandeur for grounded intimacy. Co-writing the script with Will Arnett and Mark Chappell, Cooper crafts a story that feels both cinematic and deeply personal — loosely inspired by the life of British comedian John Bishop, who turned heartbreak into humor.

Shot by Matthew Libatique, the film blends warm stage lighting with the cold hues of urban nights — mirroring Alex’s internal conflict between spotlight and solitude. The editing by Charlie Greene and music by James Newberry create a rhythm that flows like stand-up — sharp, awkward, and unexpectedly profound.

Produced by Lea Pictures and Archery Pictures, Is This Thing On? marks yet another collaboration between Cooper and Arnett, combining Cooper’s directorial nuance with Arnett’s wry emotional intelligence.

🗽 “Laughter is how the heart heals — even when it’s breaking.”

What makes Is This Thing On? so resonant isn’t just its humor — it’s how it captures the emotional improvisation of life after love. Each scene feels like a set — some jokes land, others fall flat — but together they form something deeply human.

The film asks a deceptively simple question: Can two people stop being a couple but still remain each other’s home?

🍿 Release Details

Title: Is This Thing On?

Directed by: Bradley Cooper

Written by: Bradley Cooper, Will Arnett, Mark Chappell

Starring: Will Arnett, Laura Dern, Andra Day, Bradley Cooper, Amy Sedaris, Sean Hayes, Christine Ebersole, Ciarán Hinds

Cinematography: Matthew Libatique

Music: James Newberry

Produced by: Lea Pictures, Archery Pictures

Distributor: Searchlight Pictures

World Premiere: October 10, 2025 (NYFF Closing Night)

Theatrical Release: December 19, 2025

Runtime: 124 minutes

🎤 Final Thoughts

With Is This Thing On?, Bradley Cooper delivers a quietly profound look at modern love — the kind that doesn’t end with fireworks but with understanding. It’s a film about laughter as therapy, heartbreak as rebirth, and finding your voice after the silence of routine.

So when Alex takes the mic and asks, “Is this thing on?” — it’s not just a joke. It’s the sound of a man learning to live again.