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Is This Thing On?

Is This Thing On?

Comedy · Drama · Romance · 2025

As their marriage quietly unravels, Alex faces middle age and an impending divorce, seeking new purpose in the New York comedy scene while Tess confronts the sacrifices she made for their family—forcing them to navigate co-parenting, identity, and whether love can take a new form.

Movie details

Is This Thing On?

2025 Comedy · Drama · Romance 2h 1m

Critical arithmetic

One number, for now.

TMDB

6.6 / 10

Community rating

As their marriage quietly unravels, Alex faces middle age and an impending divorce, seeking new purpose in the New York comedy scene while Tess confronts the sacrifices she made for their family—forcing them to navigate co-parenting, identity, and whether love can take a new form.

CriticWise case file

What this film says about your taste.

Not a recommendation score. A measure of how closely the film’s taste signals resemble yours.

The archetype split

Who fights over Is This Thing On??

The split comes from the same five-axis model used by the test, not audience ratings or review sentiment.

Taste neighbourhood

Nearby on the taste map.

TMDB supplies the candidates. CriticWise reorders them by craft, strangeness, prestige, emotion, and pace.

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The Middle Man

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Comedy · 1996

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Names above the title

The people responsible.

Directed by

Bradley Cooper

Written by

Mark Chappell · Will Arnett · Bradley Cooper · John Bishop

Will Arnett

Will Arnett

Alex Novak

Laura Dern

Laura Dern

Tess Novak

Andra Day

Andra Day

Christine

Bradley Cooper

Bradley Cooper

Balls

Christine Ebersole

Christine Ebersole

Marilyn

Ciarán Hinds

Ciarán Hinds

Jan

Amy Sedaris

Amy Sedaris

Kemp

Court is in session

Put Is This Thing On? on trial.

Two incompatible taste archetypes. One film. Read the arguments, then issue a completely binding cultural ruling.

The defence The Sentimental Softie

“Sincerity is not manipulation.”

The film risks embarrassment to make emotion communal, and that openness is harder than fashionable detachment.

The prosecution The Cool Ironist

“The strings are showing.”

Every cue tells you exactly what to feel and when, leaving sentiment to do the work character should have done.