Is This Thing On?

After many years together, Alex and Tess have reached an amicable end to their marriage, thus beginning the awkward stage of figuring out how to live separately while raising two boys, Felix and Jude, and maintaining their friendships. After they split, Alex finds himself unable to pay the cover at the Olive Tree Cafe, and so puts his name down for the open mic night at the Comedy Cellar. Alex begins to regularly do stand-up and he has a fling with Jill, a fellow comic. Tess returns to her passion of volleyball, specifically looking forward to possibly coaching in the 2028 Summer Olympics.

Tess reconnects with an old friend, Laird, who she learns is now divorced. They flirt and go from dinner to a bar to have drinks, which is coincidentally the venue where Alex is performing as a featured act. Tess hears his entire set, which includes commentary on their marriage. Outside, Alex and Tess confront each other about moving on quickly, but the two reconcile and have sex later that night. They continue seeing each other discreetly but agree that they should not tell their boys, friends, or family.

When Alex and Tess go on an annual trip with their friend group, Balls tells Alex that their separation has inspired him to consider the idea of separating from Christine. Meanwhile, Christine says that she has been looking down on Alex because he reminds her of her past self, and watching him wither away in marriage led her to reconsider her marriage to Balls.

Christine then reveals that Tess has received an offer to be the assistant coach of the women's volleyball team for the upcoming Olympics. Tess and Alex talk outside and he congratulates her, despite her uncertainty about the role. But Tess becomes upset when she learns that Alex hung a photo of her playing volleyball at his apartment, and she accuses him of being in love with an outdated idea of her. The conversation devolves into an argument, and the two accuse each other of not having had each other's back during their marriage. This influences Alex's next stand up routine, a bitter rant about the relationships. Alex's father Jan attends, and advises his son that two people in a relationship need to rub off on each other.

Balls visits Alex the next morning and says that he has talked things out with Christine, saying that they are okay with being confused together. Alex then visits Tess, explaining that he was not unhappy with their relationship but rather during their relationship, and still wants to be with her. Together, Alex and Tess attend Felix and Jude's school performance of "Under Pressure" dancing happily and sharing a kiss.

The idea for the film came from English comedian John Bishop, who met Will Arnett and told him about the night he decided to become a stand-up comedian.^[5] Arnett then co-wrote the screenplay with Mark Chappell,^[6] while Bishop received a story credit.^[7] In June 2023, Bradley Cooper was announced to be directing the film and starring in it with Arnett. Emily Blunt joined the cast later that month, but scheduling conflicts with Disclosure Day led to her dropping out.^[8] In December 2024, Sean Hayes joined the cast.^[9] In February 2025, Cooper confirmed Laura Dern and Andra Day as part of the cast, and announced that he would also make his debut as a camera operator on the film.^[10][11] Filming wrapped in April, with additional casting announced including Amy Sedaris, Peyton Manning, Christine Ebersole, and Ciarán Hinds.^[12]

Principal photography was scheduled to begin in Los Angeles in September 2024.^[13][14] Filming had reportedly started in New York City by January 2025.^[15] Production wrapped on April 16, 2025, with Searchlight planning a fall release.^[12]

Is This Thing On? had its world premiere as the closing film of the 2025 New York Film Festival on October 10,^[16] and it was released in the United States on December 19, 2025.^[17]