Is This Thing On? (2025)
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2025-09 to 2026-08
After a long marriage ends, two former partners navigate the complexities of co-parenting while navigating their separate and overlapping romantic lives.
The story
After many years together, Alex and Tess have reached an amicable end to their marriage, beginning the awkward stage of figuring out how to live separately while raising two boys, Felix and Jude, and maintaining their friendships. Following the split, Alex finds himself unable to pay the cover at the Olive Tree Cafe and signs up for open mic night at the Comedy Cellar. He begins performing stand-up and starts a fling with a fellow comic. Meanwhile, Tess, a former professional volleyball player, considers returning to her passion by coaching. The two paths cross when Tess attends a venue where Alex is performing as a featured act, leading to a confrontation about their shared past.
Full plot (contains spoilers)
After an amicable divorce, Alex and Tess continue to co-parent their two sons, Felix and Jude. Alex begins a stand-up career at the Comedy Cellar and has a fling with a comic named Jill. Tess, a former Olympic-level volleyball player, seeks to become a coach and reconnects with an old friend, Laird. They end up at a venue where Alex is performing; Tess hears his set about their marriage, and the two eventually begin seeing each other secretly. The narrative follows their circle of friends, including a couple named Christine and Balls. During a trip to Oyster Bay, Balls considers separating from Christine after seeing Alex's situation, while Christine realizes she has been judging Alex for his marital struggles. Tensions peak when Tess receives a coaching offer for the 2028 Olympics and discovers Alex kept a photo of her playing volleyball. After a heated argument about their past, Alex performs a bitter stand-up set. Ultimately, after a series of reconciliations with their friends and a realization of their mutual feelings, Alex and Tess decide they still want to be together. The film ends with them attending their sons' school performance and sharing a kiss.
- First release year
- 2025
- Runtime (minutes)
- 121
- Production countries
- United States
- Original languages
- English
- Directors
- Bradley Cooper
- Genres
- comedy-drama; comedy
- Themes
- Remarriage; Divorce; Comedy; Identity
- Tone and mood
- Intimate; Witty; Sincere
- Premise and plot tags
- Comedy of remarriage; Stand-up comedy; Midlife crisis
- Source material / true-story basis
- Based on the life of English comedian John Bishop
- Reception
- The film received mostly positive reviews from critics, specifically praising the performances of Arnett and Dern and the direction of Cooper.
- Reported review scores
- Metacritic · score: 72 · scale: 100 · review count: 46
- Production trivia
- Bradley Cooper served as a camera operator on the film.; Emily Blunt was originally cast but dropped out due to scheduling conflicts.; The film's idea originated from a conversation between John Bishop and Will Arnett.
Film metadata comes from the open sources listed in Credits & Contact. Catalogue details may be incomplete.
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