4K/Blu-Ray Review: "Is This Thing On?" Puts Cooper's Cinematic Precision in Your Living Room

Searchlight Pictures’ Is This Thing On? comes to physical media in a somewhat different way than collectors are used to. The independent arm of 20th Century Studios often skips 4K Ultra-HD releases unless they’re a breakout hit, but in the case of this romantic dramedy, it’s the Blu-Ray format that is partially overlooked. Instead, the only way to own Bradley Cooper’s latest film on Blu-Ray is to pick up the 4K Ultra-HD/Blu-Ray/Digital combo, now available.

Longtime couple Alex (Will Arnett) and Tess (Laura Dern) have made the difficult decision to separate, with Alex struggling to adapt to single life in New York City. But when he stumbles into an open-mic night and gets on stage, he rediscovers his missing zest for life. As Tess reconnects with the professional sport career she left behind, the couple, on the brink of divorce, may need to rediscover themselves to get along again.

Co-written by Bradley Cooper and Will Arnett and directed by Cooper, Is This Thing On? features a star-studded supporting cast that includes their longtime collaborators, including Sean Hayes and Amy Sedaris, plus real comedians Jordan Jensen, Chloe Radcliffe, and Reggie Conquest. Tender, vulnerable, and honest about the challenges of growing together as a couple, the film is a departure from Arnett’s typical roles while delivering a different type of humor from the snarky Smartless co-host. The physical media release is accompanied by a brief look at the film’s origins and production.

Bonus Features

• Mic Drop: Making Is This Thing On? (12:47) — Go behind the scenes as filmmakers and cast open up about the inspirations behind this story of love, loss, and starting again. Get a glimpse into working with a remarkable ensemble and hear about how the team developed their comedy sets.

Video

Is This Thing On? arrives on 4K UHD and Blu-ray from Searchlight Pictures with a 2160p HEVC/H.265 transfer (and a 1080p AVC encode on the included Blu-ray disc), both in Bradley Cooper's chosen 1.66:1 aspect ratio — a touch boxier than the standard 1.85:1, and very much a deliberate choice. Cooper was after intimacy and slight unease, and the presentation reflects that aesthetic faithfully. The palette runs muted and intentionally desaturated in many scenes — particularly in the sterile Novak family home — with HDR and Dolby Vision doing their most noticeable work in the deeper, darker moments: the blue backgrounds of the Novak interiors gain real luster, and the warmer, crimson-toned comedy club sequences carry a welcome glow. The 4K disc's grain structure is more visible than on the 1080p disc, though never to a distracting degree. Detail in close-up is excellent throughout, which is precisely where this film lives.

Audio

The 4K disc carries an English Dolby Atmos track, while the Blu-ray offers English DTS-HD Master Audio 7.1 — and both deliver a more immersive experience than the film's intimate scale might suggest. Cooper worked with Oscar-nominated production sound mixer Steve Morrow to separately mic each actor, enabling overlapping dialogue exchanges, and the mix preserves that quality cleanly: voices are distinct and well-rendered even in the film's busiest scenes. The comedy club sequences are the audio highlights, with ambient crowd noise and background chatter spreading into the rear channels in a way that genuinely places the viewer in the room. The gap between the Atmos and 7.1 tracks is modest — the Atmos rendering adds some height dimension in the club scenes and urban exteriors, but both options offer consistent, well-balanced immersion. The only additional audio option is an English descriptive audio mix.

Packaging & Design

Is This Thing On? Arrives home in a standard black Blu-Ray case with disc holders on both sides of the interior. The Blu-Ray disc is black instead of blue, with artwork only on the 4K disc. The only insert is a digital copy code, redeemable through Movies Anywhere. The initial pressing includes a glossy slipcover. The main menu uses the cover art set to score, with light smoke animation from the city street.

Final Thoughts

Fans of Bradley Cooper's directorial work will find Is This Thing On? a fascinating companion piece to A Star Is Born and Maestro — smaller in scope but no less deliberate in its craft. The 4K/Blu-ray/Digital combo is the only way to own it on hi-def physical media, and the 4K presentation earns that price of admission: Dolby Vision brings the film's carefully designed color contrasts to life, and the Atmos track makes the most of its comedy club sequences. The bonus feature is short but genuine.

(Please note this article contains affiliate links. Your purchase will support LaughingPlace by providing us a small commission, but will not affect your pricing or user experience. Thank you.)