Movie Review - A Real Pain

Director: Jesse Eisenberg
Genre: Drama/ Comedy
Runtime: 90 minutes
Year: 2024
Starring: Jesse Eisenberg, Kieran Culkin, Jennifer Grey,
 
Description: Mismatched cousins (Kieran Culkin, Jesse Eisenberg) reunite for a tour through Poland to honor their beloved grandmother, but their old tension resurfaces against the backdrop of their family history.

 
I WATCHED THIS MOVIE FOR MY 2025 MOVIE CHALLENGE.
WEEK 40: A FILM FROM 2024

Review: In “A Real Pain”, we meet Benji and David, cousins who get together for a trip through Poland, in honor of their grandmother who has just passed. Benji is a troubled, complex man with no real plan in life and David seems to have his life together with a wife and son, and couldn’t be more different from Benji.

The film is a layered dramedy that explores the complexity of family, trauma, and identity. This through the duo of Jesse Eisenberg and Kieran Culkin, who, despite their differences, create a moving road movie about the Holocaust past. The film combines sharp humor and deep drama to address universal themes. The chemistry between Eisenberg and Culkin is the heart of the movie. They are so different from each other, though they do look up to one another and learn from each other as well.

There is a perfect balance between humor and drama. It’s not just your everyday buddy road trip movie. It’s a journey through Poland, with a focus on the Holocaust. It serves as a backdrop for personal growth and the discovery of their family roots.

The film is fairly slow, which can throw viewers off, and the ending might feel abrupt as well. I think both worked in their favor. The slow pace fits the story and tone and the ending also felt right for this film. But I do understand this being a negative for some people.

“A Real Pain” is a wonderful film, that was nominated for two Academy Awards: best original screenplay (Jesse Eisenberg) and best supporting actor (Kieran Culkin). Culkin very deservedly took home the award, he is so good in this film. For only a 90 minute runtime, this film showed us a lot of character growth and emotional baggage. A definite must-see.

Rating: 4,5/ 5