The Messy Part of Relationships: ‘Is This Thing On?’ Review

Relationships take work. This idea that someone finds their perfect match and rides off into the sunset to live happily ever after is a lie. Well…it’s mostly a lie. The parts of ‘Snow White’ and ‘Sleeping Beauty’ that the audience doesn’t see, where Phillip and Aurora argue over what’s for dinner or who’s picking the kids up or just plain lose sight of each other, do-n’t mean that it doesn’t happen. Even the most well intentioned and loving relationships can stray from the path.

Bradley Cooper, in his latest film ‘Is This Thing On?’, takes a look at the messier side of relationships and absolutely nails it. The film is the first truly great film of the year, setting a high bar for a year with an already immense amount of expectations. Never shying away from the ugly to reveal the beautiful, ‘Is This Thing On?’ gets at the heart of relationships and, tif most importantly, what it takes to preserve them as people make their ways in the world together. ‘Is This Thing On?’ is beautiful, but heartbreaking, funny, but sorrowful. It leaves you with something many films don’t: perspective.

We’ve All Been There

What makes ‘Is This Thing On?’ work so phenomenally well is its ability to relate to the audience on a basic level. Anyone who has been married, or any relationship for that matter, absolutely understands what it’s like to drift apart and lose sight of what brought you together in the first place. Will Arnett’s character, Alex, says, “I’m not unhappy with our marriage. I’m unhappy in our marriage,,” meaning he’s not unhappy that he’s married, but he’s unhappy within himself. We’ve all been there. Every Couple has and if you say you haven’t, then you’re not being honest with yourself.

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Relatability is important when watching a film. Even if the film takes place in space on a distant planet, the audience needs to connect with the characters on screen. This is something ‘Is This Thing On?’ does remarkably well. There is a moment where Alex finds one of his son’s socks and drives just to sit outside and see his window light on, knowing he was in there. I wept. I understood that on a primal level. I see my son everyday as does my wife, neither of us would ever want to ask the other to give that up. Watching Alex and Laura Dern’s Tess both deal with that heartache hammered that point home for the both of us.

Pure Chemistry

Of course, relatability is relative if the cast doesn’t have the chemistry to pull off the realism that is being called for in a film like ‘Is This Thing On?’ Fortunately, director and fellow cast member in his own right, Bradley Cooper, put together an out-of-this-world cast. They flowed with and played so well off of each other it made each character feel unique and, in regards to the supporting cast, like members of our own friend groups.

We all have a Balls in the group.

If you don’t think you do, you’re the Balls in your friend group.

The immaculate Laura Dern is funny and bold. She plays Tess with a level of confidence that the character needed to spar with Will Arnett’s Alex. Dern helped Tess present understanding. She definitely wouldn’t have given Ross a hard time because “they were on a break.” The character that Dern gives life to feels like a real human and not just a caricature put together to make for good storytelling. Dern is Tess’ oxygen, her blood, and her soul.

For me, however, the true standout of ‘Is This Thing On?’ is Will Arnett. Arnett is well known for being comedic relief or the antagonist in his work, but this film is a huge departure from that for him. The audience was invited in and allowed to see that dude can really, REALLY act. You are never confused by what Alex is feeling because Arnett, even when he says nothing, says everything. The performance was next level, and we are all better for having experienced it.

Final Thought:

Going into ‘Is This Thing On?-‘ I was excited for a funny, maybe even touching comedyabout marriage. What I left with was a lesson in humanity that cannot be oversold. The film is a marvel of the human condition and the relationships that make up the lives that we live. ‘Is This Thing On?’ is a must see film in 2026 and if you’re lucky like me, you’ll have a packed theater filled with laughter, heartache, and growth.

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