A Real Pain (2024)

By: Mike Ward on Friday, November 15

R Running Time: 89 mins

SHOULD I SEE IT?

YES

  • A Real Pain cements Jesse Eisenberg as a top-tier director and writer, steering audiences to one of the best films of 2024.

  • Kieran Culkin is remarkable, a force on screen but a performance that never overshadows the story being told.

  • Heartfelt, thoughtful, emotional, and quite funny, A Real Pain examines concepts of maturity and how long we should hold on to our past, while also asking who gets to tell a person’s story and ponders how unconditional love can truly be when faced with generational trauma. A powerful, unforgettable movie.

NO

  • Among the small number of people who did not like the film, a main criticism is that Eisenberg and Culkin are playing characters we have seen them play many times before. I disagree, but that is an opinion some may share.

  • The movie does shift tone on occasion and while that mirrors the emotions exhibited by the characters and is very intentional, some may feel the film struggles to decide what it wants to be.

  • You avoid films that have massive acclaim, brilliant scripts, moving performances and leave you deep in thought and appreciation for what you have just experienced.


OUR REVIEW

Jesse Eisenberg takes a major step forward as a writer and director with A Real Pain, a compassionate and wise exploration of family, identity, and existence. Eisenberg and co-star Kieran Culkin (“Succession”) play two cousins, David and Benji, respectively, who grew up like brothers but have somewhat drifted away from each other the older they get. They come together to take a trip to Poland to join a Holocaust tour and honor their late grandmother’s heritage. What starts as a witty, road trip-style movie becomes a quiet and introspective analysis of how we grieve, our ability to heal, and how we evolve and change over time.

David is married with a young son and designs and sells digital banner ads for internet websites. Benji mocks David’s profession, reminding him that people everywhere hate those things. Instantly, we see the dynamic between the two of them: Benji loves to push buttons. David tries to shrug it off and move on.

Established early on is a crackling connection between the cousins. Each seek to reconnect and find the carefree sense of youth that so often begins to disappear when we all take on adult responsibilities. David is reserved, prone to anxiety, and likes an orderly life. Benji is something of a nihilist, a bit unpredictable and a provocateur. Both have big hearts and use defensiveness as a means of masking bigger struggles.

One beautiful element of A Real Pain is that Benji and David feel like people we know. This becomes quite clear in how they interact with each other. Even if Eisenberg’s idiosyncracies have been seen in performances in several of his previous movies, and even if Culkin seems to play Benji as somewhat adjacent to Roman Roy, the role he played on HBO series “Succession,” the chemistry that develops between the two actors is genuine and believable. Each actor’s celebrity falls away and Eisenberg and Culkin become David and Benji right before our eyes.

Eisenberg’s searing and honest screenplay offers multiple interpretations of what the title may mean. The cousins are attending a Holocaust tour in Poland, which naturally dredges up powerful emotions about the Jewish genocide and the atrocities of World War II. David is struggling with the consistency of his life, while Benji runs rudderless to mask many of the emotions and challenges he is facing. These are characters who compartmentalize their pain the best they can. But there are outbursts. Misunderstandings. And a very real sense of exploring how people can navigate grief and loss, while still trying to make sense of their place in the world.

Largely because of Culkin, the movie is surprisingly funny - more than one might think. And with Eisenberg’s brilliant writing and directing, there is a tenderness to A Real Pain I deeply admire. Feeling both a need to protect and apologize for Benji, Eisenberg is wonderful. Culkin is chaos - a ticking timebomb. For all his theatrics, one-liners, and quick witted teardowns and emotional outbursts, the actor never distracts or takes away from those around him. Because he is so charming and charismatic, we like Benji right away. What David knows, and what we soon learn, is that dealing with Benji is like playing with fire. You will eventually get burned. The question simply becomes to what degree.

At times, the film resembles a travelogue and can be quite calming to watch. Chopin’s music represents subtle shifts in tone and storytelling, while cinematographer Michał Dymek brings us along as visitors. Dymek’s camera is inquisitive of its surroundings, and Eisenberg gives space for each character to tell their own stories. When Benji halts the tour to pose at a World War II memorial, David is mortified. But then, at Benji’s behest, one tour member joins him for a photo. And then another. And suddenly, David is the one holding everyone’s cell phones and taking everyone’s group photo. Benji wins again.

There’s a delicate quality to all of this which makes A Real Pain something special. As we learn more about David and Benji’s distant and recent past, the movie widens into a truly insightful look at how we react and respond to obstacles placed before us. Eisenberg’s script never passes judgment on anyone.

I think that is a crucial reason why the movie is ultimately quite moving. Eisenberg knows that we all know Davids and Benjis in our lives. He also knows that part of finding our place in the world is to question and wonder. What in our history has shaped us into becoming the person we are today?

In the days since seeing A Real Pain, I have also thought a lot about the other characters. The kind-hearted tour guide James (Will Sharpe), who may be in a bit over his head with Benji on the tour. Marcia (Jennifer Grey), the recently divorced woman from Los Angeles who is unsure on where her life is headed. Older couple Mark and Diane (Daniel Oreskes, Liza Sadovy) seeking to explore more of their heritage. And Eloge (Kurt Egyiawan), a survivor of Rwandan genocide who converted to Judaism years before and seeks to develop a deeper connection and understanding of his beliefs and life’s experiences.

We all have our stories. We all share a journey of self-discovery and realization. Life, and the people we love, can be really hard to deal with at times. A Real Pain humanizes us, educates us, and reminds us that it can be okay to not be okay sometimes. We don’t have to have all the answers. We are not really supposed to.

CAST & CREW

Starring: Jesse Eisenberg, Kieran Culkin, Will Sharpe, Jennifer Grey, Daniel Oreskes, Liza Sadovy, Kurt Egiyawan, Ellora Torchia

Director: Jesse Eisenberg
Written by: Jesse Eisenberg
Release Date: November 15, 2024
Searchlight Pictures