What to read, watch, and listen to if you lovedIs This Thing On?
Bradley Cooper · Film · 2025
If you loved Is This Thing On?, start with Fleishman Is in Trouble (Taffy Brodesser-Akner, 2022) — a series on the same thread. Below: 4 books, 4 series and 2 podcasts, each matched to Is This Thing On? across media.
If Is This Thing On? resonated with you, you will appreciate these stories that examine the messy, transformative process of rebuilding one's identity after a long-term relationship dissolves.
Books on the same thread
The Breakup
Kurt Andersen · Book · 2026
Explores: Marital dissolution, Societal collapse, Political polarization.
Like the crumbling marriage in Is This Thing On?, this novel uses a wider societal lens to mirror the painful, inevitable dissolution of a committed partnership.
Maggie: Or, a Man and a Woman Walk Into a Bar
Katie Yee · Book · 2026
Shares a thread with Is This Thing On?: personal reinvention.
Fans of the raw, intimate look at divorce in Is This Thing On? will find a kindred spirit in this character study about finding oneself after everything ends.
Crush
Ada Calhoun · Book · 2026
Explores: Marital infidelity and obsession, Emotional restlessness, The complexity of long-term commitment.
This novel echoes the midlife restlessness found in Is This Thing On?, focusing on the destabilizing complexity of long-term commitment and the search for personal meaning.
Woman Down
Colleen Hoover · Book
Explores: toxic relationships, power dynamics, creative burnout.
Where Is This Thing On? explores the quiet unraveling of a marriage, this thriller examines the darker power dynamics that emerge when a creative life hits a wall.
Series on the same thread
Your Friends & Neighbors
Jonathan Tropper · Series · 2025
Shares a thread with Is This Thing On?: midlife crisis.
If you enjoyed the midlife crisis at the heart of Is This Thing On?, you will be drawn to this satirical look at a man navigating divorce and moral decay.
The Studio
Peter Huyck · Series · 2025
Explores: Power Dynamics, Creative Compromise, Corporate Culture.
This show shares the professional creative pressures seen in Is This Thing On?, highlighting how individuals struggle to balance personal ambition with the demands of their public careers.
Margo's Got Money Troubles
David E. Kelley · Series · 2026
Shares a thread with Is This Thing On?: Dramedy.
Just as Is This Thing On? focuses on reinventing one's life, this story follows a young woman navigating the sudden, overwhelming challenges of motherhood and finding her own voice.
Fleishman Is in Trouble
Taffy Brodesser-Akner · Series · 2022
Shares 2 threads with Is This Thing On?: Midlife Crisis, Domestic Drama.
This series is essential viewing for those who loved the divorce drama of Is This Thing On?, offering a similar deep dive into the fallout of a broken marriage.
Podcasts on the same thread
Conan O’Brien Needs A Friend
Team Coco & Earwolf · Podcast · 2026
Explores: parasocial relationships, professional intimacy, self-deprecating humor.
This podcast explores the same professional isolation and search for genuine connection found in Is This Thing On?, using humor to navigate the complexities of life after success.
This American Life
This American Life · Podcast · 2026
Explores: The human condition, Personal narrative, Social observation.
If you valued the human-centric storytelling of Is This Thing On?, these personal narratives capture the same big feelings and surprising shifts that define the human condition.
Keep exploring
Common questions
Is Is This Thing On? a movie about divorce?
Yes, Is This Thing On? follows the story of Alex and Tess as their marriage unravels. The film centers on their impending divorce and the subsequent challenges they face while navigating co-parenting and personal identity after years of sacrifice.
What is the premise of Is This Thing On?
Is This Thing On? depicts a couple, Alex and Tess, dealing with the end of their marriage. While Alex attempts to find a new purpose in the New York comedy scene, Tess reevaluates the sacrifices she made for their family during their life together.
Who directed Is This Thing On?
Is This Thing On? is a 2025 movie directed by Bradley Cooper. The film explores themes of midlife transition, the complexities of co-parenting, and whether the relationship between the two leads can successfully take a new form after their separation.
Does Is This Thing On? focus on the New York comedy scene?
The New York comedy scene serves as a primary setting for Alex in Is This Thing On? as he seeks a new purpose following the unraveling of his marriage. This pursuit runs parallel to Tess's own journey of self-discovery and reflection on their shared past.