Bradley Cooper, in his directorial journey, risked venturing into overly pretentious territory. His first film, the 2018 remake of “A Star Is Born,” was a hit with both critics and viewers, largely due to his and Lady Gaga’s stellar performances. However, I found its self-serious tone somewhat off-putting. His next film, “Maestro,” where Cooper took on the role of Leonard Bernstein, aimed unabashedly for awards, impressing with technical prowess but often coming across as overly earnest and somewhat dull.

To his credit, Cooper shed the pretentiousness for his film “Is This Thing On?” He wasn’t aiming for Oscars or a grand artistic triumph with this more modest dramedy, which was filmed in just 33 days and quickly edited for a 2025 New York Film Festival debut. Cooper took the script by Will Arnett and Mark Chappell, which is loosely inspired by the life of British comedian John Bishop, and adapted it to the New York comedy scene. Unlike his previous films, Cooper smartly chose not to star in the lead role, giving that to his friend Will Arnett, who plays Alex Novak. Cooper opts for a comedic supporting role, while Laura Dern, another longtime friend, portrays Alex’s nearly ex-wife Tess. The film primarily serves as a low-stakes fun project among friends.

Whether audiences will find it as enjoyable is a different question. “Is This Thing On?” is charming and easy to watch, exploring the psychology of a troubled marriage involving characters with divergent views on unhappiness. It’s engaging enough, achieving its modest goals, although I suspect it won’t leave a lasting impression.

Featuring Laura Dern in a divorce-themed film inevitably draws parallels to “Marriage Story,” yet Alex and Tess’ separation is less dramatic than the intense confrontations seen in Noah Baumbach’s film. Their issues stem more from poor communication and mutual inability to navigate depression, rather than any major wrongdoing.

Alex stumbles upon a vent for his frustrations when he inadvertently participates in an open mic night, initially just to evade a cover charge. His stand-up debut isn’t stellar, but it earns some laughs and inspires him to pursue more performances. Cooper’s direction, along with Matthew Libatique’s cinematography, is refreshingly straightforward compared to their previous collaborations, with just one notably showy shot. They make intriguing framing choices by focusing on close-ups during Alex’s performances, forcing us to listen to the audience reactions rather than see them—save for one crucial audience member whose response is significant.

The drawback to a stand-up comedy movie whose protagonist struggles with comedy is its inevitable lack of humor. Alex’s circle includes seasoned comedians like Chloe Radcliffe, Reggie Conquest, and Jordan Jensen, but their comedic acts are only briefly showcased, and their interactions are limited. The idea of comedy being a “safe space” feels outdated given the current issues of toxicity in the comedy world—highlighted by Alex performing at The Comedy Cellar, connected to Louis CK’s controversial comeback. Perhaps it’s more fitting to view “Is This Thing On?” as a film about divorce that weaves stand-up comedy into its narrative.

While “Is This Thing On?” is largely fairly predictable, something happens in the third act that gives the film a boost of energy and makes the story much more interesting than it’s been up to that point. The central relationship story becomes funnier, and also opens up new room for insight into these characters. While Alex’s non-comedy career in finance never plays a part in the story, Tess’ feelings about having to retire as a star volleyball player to become a mother — and Alex’s own feelings on said retirement — are explored to interesting ends.

The side-story with Alex and Tess’ obnoxious friends, Christine (Andra Day) and Balls (Bradley Cooper), pops in and out of the film and gets particularly funny in that final act. These two are the worst people to be around, but they’re funny because of that. Christine Ebersole also gets some laughs as Alex’s mom, who wants to stay friends with Tess, while Ciarán Hinds as Alex’s dad gets one big heartfelt standout scene following one of Alex’s darkest performances.

There’s not much more I can really say about “Is This Thing On?” without getting into spoilers, because there’s not that much I really connected with but not much I really disliked either. There’s not a lot to complain about with this modest film. By being less ambitious than the showmanship of “Maestro,” it can’t fall as flat overall, and that last act is just entertaining enough to make it a decent watch when it comes to streaming. It’s intelligent without being profound, amusing without being hilarious, empathetic without being gut-wrenching. “Cute” is the word I’d use to describe it overall. By nature it’s nothing special, but it’s not bad either.

“Is This Thing On?” made its world premiere at the New York Film Festival on October 10, and hits theaters on December 19.