Bradley Cooper is the director of a new dramedy, "Is This Thing On?" starring Will Arnett and Laura Dern as a divorcing couple pulled into New York's stand-up scene, which has opened wide in theaters after a buzzy festival and limited run.​​

The Searchlight Pictures film expanded nationwide on January 9, following its earlier platform release in December and a high-profile slot as the closing-night selection of the New York Film Festival at Lincoln Center. Running just over two hours, the R-rated feature marks Cooper's third film as director and his first in which he takes a supporting role rather than the lead.​​

Set in New York City, the story follows Alex Novak (Arnett), a suburban dad whose 20-year marriage to Tess (Dern) is quietly collapsing, according to the New York Times. After moving into a small Manhattan apartment and adjusting to shared custody of their two children, Alex stumbles into stand-up comedy at the famed Comedy Cellar, using open-mic nights to process his midlife crisis and looming divorce.​

Tess, meanwhile, confronts the years she devoted to family over her own ambitions, forcing both partners to reconsider who they are apart and whether their relationship can take a different form rather than simply end. The film blends intimate marital drama with backstage comedy-club scenes, positioning stand-up as both creative outlet and emotional therapy, The Atlantic reported.​​

Cooper directs from a script he co-wrote with Arnett and Mark Chappell, loosely inspired by British comedian John Bishop's early stand-up experience during a brief separation from his wife. The ensemble includes Andra Day, Amy Sedaris, Sean Hayes, Christine Ebersole, Ciarán Hinds, and Scott Icenogle, with Cooper playing Balls, a theater actor friend in the couple's circle.​​

Early reviews highlight Arnett's rare dramatic lead turn, describing his performance as a grounded portrait of middle-aged depression and reinvention, while praising Dern for bringing depth to Tess's frustration and desire to "feel alive" after years in the background.

Some critics call the film a fresh spin on the divorce comedy, even as they question Cooper's restless camerawork and the somewhat idealized view of the stand-up world.​

Speaking in a recent BAFTA conversation, Cooper said writing with Arnett and Chappell, while Arnett and Dern were already attached, helped shape the film's tone, and he emphasized how New York's energy and his long friendship with Arnett informed the project, as per Yahoo News.​

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Bradley Cooper, Will Arnett, Laura Dern