Is This Thing On?
Searchlight Pictures | Release Date: December 19, 2025 CRITIC SCORE DISTRIBUTION
72
METASCORE
Generally favorable reviews based on 46 Critic Reviews
Positive:
34
Mixed:
12
Negative:
0

Critic Reviews

Critic scorePublicationBy date
60
The IndependentClarisse LoughreyFeb 10, 2026
It’s small in scope and may prove relatively minor in Cooper’s filmography. But, still, the intentions of Is This Thing On? feel worthy. Here’s a filmmaker fully invested in what divides the personal from the creative, and willing to look at it from all angles. Read full review
60
The GuardianPeter BradshawJan 29, 2026
I’d like to see a film about a comedian who, like Bishop, really does flower into being funny. Read full review
60
The Irish TimesDonald ClarkeJan 28, 2026
This remains a sincerely felt piece of entertainment that, unusually for current mainstream cinema, treats the audience and its characters like adults. Worth indulging. Read full review
60
Radio TimesJames MottramJan 26, 2026
It’s a good exercise for Cooper in creating something more low-key, even if it doesn’t quite come off. Still, in the days where adult-skewing dramas are becoming an endangered species in movie theatres, this should be applauded for attempting the subject of divorce with a level head. Read full review
60
Wall Street JournalKyle SmithDec 19, 2025
Just when this thing seems dead, though, the movie picks up considerably, and the much-better second half nearly redeems it. I give the credit to an experienced conjurer of the unexpected triumph: Peyton Manning. Read full review
60
Next Best PictureGiovanni LagoOct 10, 2025
It is a harmless outing that, while featuring a few strong performances, ultimately feels like a pleasant diversion from a filmmaker who is clearly capable of far more. Read full review
60
LooperReuben BaronOct 10, 2025
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. Read full review
58
IndieWireRyan LattanzioOct 10, 2025
Though often lethargic and listless, Is This Thing On? does stir up a vivid portrait of the New York City underground comedy milieu, even when New York City as a character feels more like the afterthought it isn’t supposed to be. Read full review
50
Movie NationRoger MooreMay 4, 2026
Arnett’s funny. No doubt about it. But he needs material to work with, and “Is This Thing On?” doesn’t deliver it. Read full review
50
Boston GlobeOdie HendersonJan 2, 2026
Dern is excellent, as usual, and her scenes with Arnett feel realistic. The screenplay by Cooper, Arnett, and Mark Chappell is really thin, however, and I didn’t find any of these people compelling. Read full review
50
The RevealKeith PhippsDec 23, 2025
For long stretches, Is This Thing On? works better on a scene-by-scene basis than as a cohesive film. Arnett and Dern believably summon the off-kilter chemistry of a couple going through a rough patch in their scenes together and the lost-at-sea fogginess of the newly separated in their scenes apart. Read full review
50
Austin ChronicleMarjorie BaumgartenDec 18, 2025
What might happen to Alex, once removed from the spotlight, remains a black hole. Read full review
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