As an actor, Bradley Cooper can be exciting and explosive because he refuses to take himself all that seriously. In critically heralded films like Silver Linings Playbook, American Hustle, even Guardians of the Galaxy, where he voiced Rocket Raccoon, he gamely plays the fool, egotistical, wrathful, and/or uncouth. Yet as a filmmaker, Cooper is tediously serious, even when making the divorce-centered comedy Is This Thing On?

Curiously, Cooper doesn't star in his latest, as he did in past directorial efforts A Star is Born (2018), and Maestro. Instead, he cast himself as the silliest character in his latest directorial effort, while Will Arnett, who co-wrote the screenplay with Cooper and Mark Chappell (See How They Run), headlines alongside Laura Dern.

Together, they play a middle-aged couple who are navigating the end of their 20-year marriage. But don't expect the fireworks of the troubled couples from his last two directorial efforts. Instead, these two have a mutual split that's more aching than angry. To cope, the soon-to-be ex-husband turns his pain into a new hobby: stand-up comedy. Yet the results aren't all that funny or profound.

Is This Thing On? feels old-school in a bad way.

Laura Dern and Will Arnett with director Bradley Cooper on the set of "Is This Thing On?"
Credit: Jason McDonald / Searchlight Pictures

Relying on cliches and a premise done recently and very well by The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel, Is This Thing On? feels like a lost film from the late 2010's, when joking about dad bods was remotely fresh. Arnett stars as Alex Novak, who by day wears a suit for the sort of job the movie doesn't care about, and by night is stumbling into comedy clubs in New York city, looking for an open mic. Does he have dreams of doing stand-up professionally? Nope. It's more that tired meme: Men will do anything except go to therapy.

So, Alex goes up on stage and starts talking about his life, his wife Tess (Dern), and his penis, in search of — what — attention? Absolution? I'm not sure even he knows. Scoring a few laughs thrills Alex, but he seems even more grateful for the community of comics (most of them women and people of color) who immediately embrace him and offer pointers. Because a realm where straight white guys really need a helping hand is stand-up comedy, right?

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Where Midge Maisel's journey was about becoming great at stand-up, Alex's story is never about going pro, or even getting particularly good. Neither is it about becoming a member of the comic community so ready to embrace him. Instead, Is This Thing On? is a tedious, navel-gazing tale of a mediocre man doing the very least and feeling sort of bad about it. But hey, a female character who exists only to mock and fuck Alex says he's a "good" person. So, there's that.

Bradley Cooper loves a broken man and the strong woman who takes his bullshit.

Laura Dern and Will Arnett play husband and wife in "Is This Thing On?"
Credit: Jason McDonald / Searchlight Pictures

Admittedly, I've never been much for Cooper's movies. A Star Is Born was a remake after a remake, but at least its dusty, toxic romance gave us a sensational Lady Gaga performance. As for Maestro, Cooper threw himself into mastering the intricacies of conducting an orchestra, but co-wrote and directed a Leonard Bernstein movie that was fueled by biphobic stereotypes, like that bisexual people are irrepressibly lusty and can't (or won't) commit to a monogamous relationship. Both films in tone and aesthetic pine for Hollywood's Golden Age of big stars and big drama, but in doing so, drag dated ideas along with them. Set today, Is This Thing On? is less egregious on these points, but not the tiresome gender roles of messy man and the incredible woman who loves him. In this case, this is taken to a comical extreme. Alex is an amateur comic; his wife is a former Olympian volleyball player.

Alex is often gruff and rumpled, looking very much the part of a man on the brink of divorce. The close-ups employed in Matthew Libatique's cinematography are practically suffocating, and repeatedly go directly into the protagonist's eyeline. So, whether he's tripping into a punchline or speaking sincerely to Tess, Alex is looking right at the camera, directly addressing the audience, perhaps asking us to love or at least see him.

However, it's unclear how self-aware Is This Thing On? is about Alex's emotional state. Sure, as the movie goes on, he begins to own his mistakes in the past, but less so in the present. He and Tess have two young sons together. And over the course of the movie, Alex — who has moved out of the family home — acts more like a guest than a parent. When a birthday party is thrown at their house, he arrives late with no gift or anything in hand. When it's time to clean up, Libatique's frame shows other party-goers gathering absurd amounts of streamers that have been scattered around the lawn, while Alex chats with his flighty friend Balls, a deluded actor played by Bradley Cooper.

Is This Thing On? isn't funny, but its supporting players have their moments.

Will Arnett and Bradley Cooper play friends in "Is This Thing On?"
Credit: Jason McDonald / Searchlight Pictures

To reiterate: Alex is not all that funny as a stand-up, in part because he tells tired jokes about dad bods and in part because he goes all Joker on occasion, turning his self-loathing on his audience. However, there's something brave and refreshing in suggesting someone can be into the performing arts as a hobby without being good at it, much less being successful. Cooper's character drives this point home, as he's the kind of New York actor who has been in the business for decades but has never broken through.

Entering with a pratfall that sprawls him out on the floor and spills a full quart of milk for a splashy punchline, Balls is ever-convinced he's on the brink of his moment. With a wide smile and chaotic charisma, he waxes poetic about the joys of being an understudy or cowhand #4. And though this makes him a clown within Alex's story, his final scene suggests he's found the key to happiness, and isn't bothered by other people's ideas of success. He's a goofball, but aspirational.

Elsewhere, Christine Ebersole is hilarious as Alex's pestering mother. Though only in the film briefly, she makes the most of every moment, nailing that backhanded mom humor that cuts and spurs cackles. Her intense energy plays well off of Arnett's low-key grumbling, as does Dern's hard-forged warmth. The film's tension becomes the will-they-won't-they of Tess and Alex's relationship, asking if this is really the end or not. Dern, flowing from charmed to impatient to furious and back again, carries a lot of the movie's emotional weight. However, the film never commits to her enough to make this a two-hander. So, in the supporting role of the wife/could-be ex-wife, she's left to have emotional breakthroughs not on the Comedy Cellar's stage, but on the phone with friends or family. Perhaps this is meant to show how one-sided their marriage had become, Tess left alone at home, calling out for help. But I suspect I'm giving Cooper too much credit there.

In the end, I lost patience with this movie about a man who is remarkable in no particular way. Is This Thing On? is like its hero, unremarkable. The humor in it occasionally hits, but more often doesn't. Though the narrative around divorce here is refreshingly lacking in the sort of cliched Kramer vs. Kramer or Marriage Story vitriol, its open-hearted exploration of a marriage on the rocks never seems to recognize the strangling gender norms at its core. The performances are solid from the supporting cast, including former pro footballer Peyton Manning and a smattering of actual stand-ups — like Chloe Radcliffe, Jordan Jensen, and Reggie Conquest. Then there's Arnett, who post-BoJack Horseman seems cozy in the role of a lost middle-aged loser seeking validation through performance. But ultimately, I wasn't rooting for this marriage to work out or fall apart. I was just waiting for someone to flash the light and bring this exasperating set to an end.

Is This Thing On? was reviewed out of its world premiere at the New York Film Festival. The movie will open in theaters on Dec. 19.

The Google Translate app has been a worthy addition to any international traveler's tech arsenal ever since it launched in 2006; Google claims it now translates a trillion words every month. Not that it does so entirely accurately. Over two decades, the app has also been a source of hilarious translation fails — which have in themselves created enough content for multiple listicles, Reddit threads, and YouTube videos.

But right or wrong, the app has never been able to explain the process it went through to get to that translation — in other words, to show its work. Not until now. An experimental feature spotted by Android Authority, now being tested on the Android version of Google Translate, adds an "Understand" button at the bottom of the screen.

Using Gemini AI for the explanation, "Understand" details the app's "thinking" process. And it doesn't spare any user's blushes if the original language query isn't worded well. In Android Authority's example, the words "impractical that is" are translated into the Hindi "yah avyaavahaarik hai," with the app noting that this is a more common way to translate the English phrase "this is impractical." (Still, the app missed an opportunity for a teachable moment here — to point out that Hindi invariably puts its verbs at the end of the sentence.)

Another AI-driven button next to "Understand" is "Ask," which suggests further queries helpful to any language learner. The app is able to use the translated phrase in a sentence, and it can tell you whether the usage is formal or informal. In other words, Google Translate may soon be able to provide the kind of context any language teacher will tell you is crucial for true understanding.

The two experimental AI buttons, which are not yet confirmed as an upcoming feature, replace a single button that allowed Android users to "ask a follow up." Even that button doesn't yet exist in the iOS version, so iPhone users might have to wait a while to see this feature if they ever get it at all. At least the iOS version was the first to get larger, clearer text, which has only just been added to the Android version.

Adding more "understanding" to Google Translate seems in line with the company's stated plans to make the app more educational. This summer, Google announced Duolingo-style "language practice sessions" would be rolling out in beta form to Android and iOS users — starting with English-speaking users who want to learn Spanish.

"We're going far beyond simple language-to-language translation," wrote Google Translate product manager Matt Sheets. Based on user feedback, Sheets said, the app now aims to help you "listen and speak with confidence on the topics you care about." Adding more context-rich "understanding" would certainly boost that confidence. But whether these features are enough for Google to compete with Duolingo's far more intensive language courses remains, for now, in the untranslatable future.

Want to get your pulse racing and your spine tingling? Maybe you need something spooky as an excuse to cuddle up closer to your crush? Or perhaps you want to test your mettle with some supremely creepy cinema? Whatever your reasons, Paramount+ has a thrilling library of movies perfect for a scary night in.

Below, we’ve collected the highlights across a wide field of horror films. Whether you’re on the hunt for vicious zombies, sinister slashers, creepy critters, merciless monsters, or madcap mayhem, we’ve got what you want.

Here are the best scary movies now available on Paramount+.

1. A Quiet Place

Shhhhhhhhhhhhh.
Credit: Paramount Pictures

John Krasinski went from actor to celebrated horror director with this spine-tingling 2018 hit. Starring opposite his real-life wife Emily Blunt, The Office star plays a farmer dedicated to protecting his family from killer creatures that hunt by sound. This clever premise means the movie’s characters can't scream, because such a sound would definitely be their last. That means your own sounds of terror are weaponized while watching, crashing into the silent soundscape that’s suffocating in tension.

Ruthlessly paced and keenly realized, A Quiet Place is a superbly scary thrill ride. But what makes it top tier are the poignant performances by Krasinski, Blunt, and their onscreen children, Millicent Simmonds and Noah Jupe. Together, they make a family-frightening feature that's perfect for a quiet night at home. And if you dare to make it a triple feature, the spooky sequel A Quiet Place: Part II and prequel A Quiet Place: Day One are also available. — Kristy Puchko, Film Editor

How to watch: A Quiet Place is now streaming on Paramount+.

2. Scream

It was the slasher movie that changed the way we looked at this stabby subgenre. Directed by Wes Craven and written by Kevin Williamson, Scream imagined what if in a charming suburban town a Halloween-like scenario — masked killer targeting teen girls — was happening to a generation raised on such movies?

Virginal Sidney Prescott (Neve Campbell) is the good girl of her group of friends, but soon seems to be the target of the Ghostface killer. Stalked and scared but far from helpless, she — with the help of a dopey deputy (David Arquette) and an opportunist news reporter (Courteney Cox) — must survive the night and unmask the killer. A classic that launched a franchise, Scream is still the gold standard by which dastardly reveals are judged. And hey, you can also watch Scream 2-6 on Paramount+ too! — K.P.

How to watch: Scream is now streaming on Paramount+.

3. Pet Sematary

This 2019 version of Stephen King's classic is more reimagining than remake, but what a wild ride it is.
Credit: Paramount / Moviestore / Shutterstock

Stephen King has long been heralded the king of horror novels. His Pet Sematary was a book so scary that it’s been adapted to the big screen twice. The first came in 1989, yet this 2019 version is less a remake and more a reimagining. Instead of retreading the gruesome path of the original, directors Kevin Kölsch and Dennis Widmyer make surprising turns to keep the thrills fresh and frightening — but still deliciously ghoulish!

Jason Clarke and Amy Seimetz star as parents happy to move their young children away from the bustling of a big city to a quaint Maine town. The locals are odd but friendly. (Shout-out to a perfectly morose John Lithgow.) Their house is lovely, but its location proves full of dangers and deadly temptations. Then, this dreamy family’s waking nightmare begins when a dead cat is resurrected. From there, things grow more monstrous and moldering. — K.P.

How to watch: Pet Sematary is now streaming on Paramount+.

4. Apartment 7A

A Rosemary's Baby prequel was a big gamble to take, but it paid off. Set months before the events of the 1968 classic, Relic director Natalie Erika James takes minor character Terry (Julia Garner), a neighbor of Rosemary who only has a single scene in the original, and fleshes her story out to terrifying effect.

"With Relic, Natalie Erika James spun an intimate tale of mother-daughter relationships and family curses into a rivetingly scary thriller," wrote Mashable's Kristy Puchko in her review. "Here, she uses that gift of emotional intelligence and skill for crafting unsettling scenes to tell a story that's familiar yet all the more frightening for it. We know where Terry's story will end because of Rosemary's Baby. Yet James keeps us at the edge of our seats as she expertly spins a web of rich drama and sly horror, working in heartfelt conversations, shattering jump scares, and defiant dazzle. From Polanski's foundation, she builds a glittering tale of girlhood stolen that is sick, stunning, and horrifyingly relevant."* — S.H.

How to watch: Apartment 7A is now streaming on Paramount+.

5. Jacob’s Ladder

Adrian Lyne’s 1990 mindbender Jacob’s Ladder is a cult film that deserves a bigger cult. Tim Robbins plays Jacob Singer, a Vietnam veteran living in a dilapidated '70s New York with his girlfriend Jezzie (the late Elizabeth Peña) while experiencing horrifying hallucinations that may be the result of an experimental drug used on his platoon. Or is he being pursued by demons and the ghost of his dead son (an uncredited Macaulay Culkin)? Or is Jacob himself already dead and unaware of it? A surprisingly profound take on death and loss that happens to have one of the scariest hospitals ever seen on film. — Rufus Hickok, Contributing Writer

How to watch: Jacob’s Ladder is now streaming on Paramount+.

6. Smile 2

Naomi Scott stars as a pop diva in "Smile 2."
Credit: Paramount Pictures

After the success of Parker Finn's Smile, expectations for the sequel were high — and you'd better believe that thing delivered. Following on from the events of the first movie, Smile 2 takes its cursed premise into the world of fame, following pop star Skye Riley (Naomi Scott) on a world tour-turned-nightmare.

"To match his superstar heroine, Finn goes all in on creating an unpredictable narrative that's full of jump scares, creepy imagery, and spine-tingling sound effects," wrote Monica Castillo in her Mashable review. "There are even more violent injuries, body horror, and bloody deaths to make an audience recoil, and plenty of upsetting details, from Skye's compulsive hair-pulling habit (aka trichotillomania) to a group of smiling backup dancers chasing Skye through her apartment in choreographed formation. These scares can feel delightfully over the top, almost like a carnival ride, but they're as creative and horrific as the best parts of the Final Destination series."* — S.H.

How to watch: Smile 2 is now streaming on Paramount+.

7. Hansel & Gretel: Witch Hunters

Want something exciting with a fairytale flourish? Then you'll cherish this outrageous R-rated film from 2013, which not only offers action and fantasy but also ghoulish horror.

Directed by Dead Snow helmer Tommy Wirkola, Hansel & Gretel: Witch Hunters reimagines the classic Grimm tale as one about two vengeance-driven siblings dedicated to eliminating the magical scourge that turns children into meals. Wearing matching smirks, Jeremy Renner and Gemma Arterton star as the titular brother-sister team. They wield crossbows and firearms with deadly accuracy and gory results. But with a massive coven coming for them, they'll need killer snares, quirky sidekicks, and some magic of their own. Along with bursts of action, Wirkola unveils a rich treasure trove of creepy witch designs that will have horror fans squealing. So, forget historical accuracy, embrace lunacy, and enjoy a realm where witches rule, trolls drool, and Hansel and Gretel are merciless ass-kickers. — K.P.

How to watch: Hansel & Gretel: Witch Hunters is now streaming on Paramount+.

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8. Disturbia

Want something scary that's PG-13? Then you'll get a kick out of Disturbia. This 2007 thriller is a sort-of remake of Alfred Hitchcock's Rear Window, but leaning hard into the 00s thirst for teen slashers flicks.

Shia LaBeouf stars as a teen boy who's under house arrest, and has the ankle bracelet to prove it. (Hey, at least it's not a broken leg!) Watching through his windows, he spies on his neighbors, and soon suspects that one of them is a serial killer. Is he paranoid? Or is he onto something sinister? Creepy, exciting, and slick, this twisted gem from director D. J. Caruso makes for a great watch without R-rated gore. — K.P.

How to watch: Disturbia is now streaming on Paramount+.

9. The Menu

Shocks and surprises await Anya Taylor-Joy and Nicholas Hoult in "The Menu."
Credit: Searchlight Pictures

Usually, the only terrifying thing about bougie fine dining experiences is the price tag attached to them. And perhaps the occasional food item that grosses you out. Directed by Mark Mylod, The Menu puts a new spin on fear-inducing gastronomy with what appears to be a murderous chef played by a very sinister-looking Ralph Fiennes, and a load of unsuspecting restaurant guests who think they're all in for nothing more than a night of haute cuisine. Naturally, they all get more than they bargained for. And, no, we don't mean free dessert. Anya Taylor-Joy and Nicholas Hoult play a couple who travel to the high-end restaurant, which handily happens to be on a coastal island (handy because no one can hear you screaming, perhaps). Shocks and surprises await them, and the other guests, at their foodie retreat. Anyone fancy eating at home, this evening? And maybe forever? — Rachel Thompson, Features Editor

How to watch: The Menu is now streaming on Paramount+.

10. Green Room

Director Jeremy Saulnier's relentless 2015 panic attack of a movie stars Anton Yelchin (RIP), Alia Shawkat, Joe Cole, and Callum Turner as a punk band on cheapo tour who find themselves performing at a skinhead bar in the middle of nowhere, Oregon. And that's not even the worst of it.

The worst comes when the band accidentally witnesses a murder in the green room. And their hosts don't want to leave any witnesses alive. Barricaded in the beer and piss-soaked back room of the title, the foursome find themselves besieged by a troupe of baddies, led by a terrifying Patrick Stewart, who is clearly relishing the opportunity to drop his StarFleet uniform for the cause of deeply freaking us out. Be warned, this one get gruesome.* — Jason Adams, Freelance Contributor

How to watch: Green Room is now streaming on Paramount+.

11. Lake Placid

Craving a creature-feature with a jaw-droppingly star-studded cast? Then give this crocodile horror-comedy a bite. Set in Maine, Lake Placid focuses on a place where some massive, mysterious creature seems to be gobbling people up whole. Naturally, the local sheriff (Brendan Gleeson) must convene with an agent (Bill Pullman) from the United States Fish and Wildlife Service, a paleontologist (Bridget Fonda), and an affluent mythology professor (Oliver Platt). That doesn't mean he's happy about it. Unhappier still is local Mrs. Delores Bickerman (a foul-mouthed Betty White), who doesn't take kindly to strangers sniffing around her home.

Written by David E. Kelley, this outrageous premise plays way smarter than you might expect. But director Steve Miner is sure to put in giddily grisly attacks and creature feature thrills for some big stupid fun. — K.P.

How to watch: Lake Placid is now streaming on Paramount+.

12. The Faculty

It’s a crime more people don’t know about this Breakfast Club vs. the Body Snatchers monster mashup. Not only does it boast the throwback fun of '50s alien invasion horror, but also, The Faculty scratches the itch for '90s teen horror. When the extraterrestrial-conquered teachers at an Ohio high school start acting very strange, a group of angsty teens have to stop them from taking over the town at the big football game. It’s an old story, but with Scream scribe Kevin Williamson bringing the meta-commentary, a cast featuring Josh Hartnett, Elijah Wood, Salma Hayek, Jon Stewart, and Piper Laurie, a '90s alt-rock soundtrack, fantastic creature design (by Bernie Wrightson), and Sin City director Robert Rodriguez keeping things moving quickly, it’s all too much fun. — R.H.

How to watch: The Faculty is now streaming on Paramount+.

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Credit: Paramount

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UPDATE: Oct. 3, 2025, 3:40 p.m. EDT This article was first published on Sept. 3, 2021. It has since been updated to reflect current streaming options.