Is Thing Thing On? screened at the 2025 Twin Cities Film Fest. Searchlight Pictures will release it in theaters on December 19.

Whether it was intentional or not, Bradley Cooper’s third outing as a director, Is This Thing On?, feels very much like a direct response to all the negative criticisms surrounding the extreme formalistic showmanship of his sophomore feature, Maestro. Jumping from the populist smash hit that was A Star Is Born into a 4:3, mostly black-and-white biography on a semi-closeted classical composer was always going to be a major leap, especially when the aggressive awards campaign pushed Cooper to be labeled as a try-hard, a dubious title that results in polite responses from the industry, but no genuine love from the public. Unfair as those criticisms were to Cooper and his monumental biographical achievement, Is This Thing On? is the right move at the right time, a strategic downshift into a less pressurized register, all while retaining an uncanny skill at producing respectful adult entertainment.

Cooper’s first appearance in the film is not as the lead, but as a supporting character named Balls (yes, really). At a party he and his wife Christine (Andra Day) are hosting at their New York City loft apartment, he falls over and spills milk all over the carpet. His immediate laughter and everyone’s bemoaning signals that this is a common occurrence, likely a symptom of his need to be high all the time and a head-in-the-clouds mindset after being upgraded from an understudy in a local play. He is the comic relief to this story, the foil to bounce off the dramatic journey that fellow partygoers Alex and Tess Novak (Will Arnett and Laura Dern) are on in their marriage. Twenty-six years of partnership are at its end, with Alex taking an apartment in the city while Tess stays in their home with their “Irish twin” sons.

Wandering the streets on a restless night, Alex stumbles upon the Comedy Cellar. Rather than pay the $15 cover charge, he signs himself up for the open mic night and improvises through a routine where he candidly lays out all his cards for the audience. That level of honesty is cheaper and more fun than therapy, so Alex decides to modestly pursue this avenue of self-expression. Having done similarly cathartic work on television in Flaked and BoJack Horseman, Arnett is adept at finding the balance between innocent humor and flawed darkness. There is a required level of awareness to be able to write and perform these self-deprecating jokes, but also a similar amount of cowardice to convince yourself to bear it all with complete strangers rather than your significant other.

Meanwhile, Tess, after years of retirement due to motherhood, finds herself dipping back into the world of professional volleyball. She’s been offered a coaching position for the Olympic team, a decision that will push her to think of herself for the first time in years. Dern is positively magnetic, rediscovering her character’s individuality with an endearing attitude.

Part of this narrative is inspired by the true story of John Bishop, a British man who turned to stand-up as a method of reconciliation after a breakup with his wife. Writing with Mark Chappell, Arnett and Cooper maintain that sense of grounding by forgoing the usual Hollywood-isms found in relationship dramas. There isn’t a big blow-up scene or a string of fights that eventually break the camel’s back, just a mutual understanding that it’s time to cut everyone’s losses. There’s a lot of humor in the logistics of this situation, as agreeing to a breakup doesn’t mean it immediately happens. Where will Alex sleep while he’s searching for a place to move to, and how will Tess manage her friendship with Alex’s parents, Jan and Marilyn (Ciarán Hinds and Christine Ebersole), who live just down the street from their house?

The production is light on its feet, with Cooper being his own camera operator as he glides through the streets and cellar hallways. Long takes are used for both comedic and dramatic effect, with much of Arnett’s routines being captured in one swoop of close-ups. When Alex and Tess are walking to the subway from the initial party, a long pause of silence fills the air as their conversation hits its conclusion. They’re likely thinking about the same thing at that moment, but are both unable to fully express what they’re feeling.

Convenience and contrivances for the sake of connecting the dots do come into play later on, with one pivotal scene featuring Peyton Manning as a volleyball coach, taking Tess on a date throughout the city. At some point, you do have to give yourself over to the fact that this is a movie, and shortcuts are necessary to truncate a year-long path down to two hours. Stuff like that rarely hurt Nancy Meyers or James L. Brooks in finding the truth of the human condition, and neither does it hinder Cooper, who can seemingly do no wrong once he has a man, a woman, and a camera.