A Real Pain

Finding ourselves, particularly the process of finding what we’ve lost about ourselves, can be an eye-opening, enlightening but sometimes-painful ordeal, especially if we’re unclear about where to look. For many of us, though, this is a challenge we often attempt to resolve by examining our past, specifically that of our family and its legacy, in hopes that it provides the answers we seek. Such is the quest embarked upon by two once-close cousins, David (Jesse Eisenberg) and Benji (Kieran Culkin), who journey to Poland on an intimate heritage tour to visit the homestead of their beloved deceas…

Written and directed by Jesse Eisenberg, A Real Pain sees two cousins reunite after a long period. David (Eisenberg) and Benji (Kieran Culkin) were raised together and were around each other so much growing up that they were brothers. They meet up in the present day for a Poland Holocaust tour that culminates with them visiting the house that once belonged to their grandmother. David and Benji are at two different stages of life despite being a few months apart. David has a full-time job, a wife, and a kid while Benji is single and doesn’t have a job. While David has fond memories of thei…

Good little buddy trip flick. Funny bits. Characters. Stupid tourists making life miserable for locals. Better acting than the mighty Megalopolis. Very clever title.

CinemaSerf

2025-01-09

⭐ 7

"Grandma Dory" has passed away and left her two grandsons some money so that they can take a trip to Poland and see where she grew up amidst the Nazi invasion and subsequent holocaust. These two are cousins. "David" (Jesse Eisenberg) is a bit of a shy, geeky, type who lives in New York with his wife and child. "Banji" (Kieran Culkin) is quite the opposite. A free spirited, thinking and speaking individual who cares little for what anyone else thinks about him. The pair clearly love each other, but the behaviour of the latter continues to rattle his travelling companion, especially when they me…

r96sk

2025-01-09

⭐ 7

<em>'A Real Pain'</em> is a real solid watch. It makes up for its no-frills with plenty of heart and a meaningful buddy road trip. It's described as a comedy-drama and it is, though I'd say it's more the latter than the former; albeit with a still sizeable dose of comedy, it is amusing. Kieran Culkin is the reason for the aforementioned, he is the star of this particular show and is funny throughout - though when he has to play more serious, he does to very good effect. Jesse Eisenberg (also dir.) acts alongside, he plays his character really well too. Two strong performers! Will Sharpe and…

Summary: 7/10: a film with real strengths in performance and tone, undermined somewhat by its inability to fully commit to its central relationship. Jesse Eisenberg's directorial effort is an interesting film, though not a brilliant one. Two cousins, David and Benji, embark on a Holocaust tour through Poland to honor their grandmother's memory, and what follows is a study in contrasts: David's anxious restraint against Benji's manic energy, comedy against pathos, the weight of historical trauma against the immediacy of personal pain. The balance of comedy and pathos here is what carries …

Marco-Hugo Landeta Vacas

2026-10-18

(CASTELLANO) Una herida heredada que se ríe justo antes de doler Me gustó bastante. Tiene algo pequeño, sencillo y muy humano que funciona muy bien: dos primos viajando por Polonia para conectar con la memoria de su abuela y, al mismo tiempo, chocando todo el rato porque cada uno lleva el dolor de una forma distinta. No es una película enorme, pero sí de esas que parecen ligeras y luego van dejando más poso del que aparentan. La pareja principal sostiene todo. Jesse Eisenberg está en su registro de nervios, rigidez, ansiedad y control, pero aquí eso encaja muy bien con David. Es un hombre co…

My experience would have been better if this was in a theater.. But with that said, I understand the motif that was attempted but a lot of it was left implied. We were needing to essentially pick up the ticks, habits, and hints of how each person was experiencing grief. I would’ve like it to be a little more clear. Tell me what you want me to know. If you just try to show me, I may not pick up what you want me to. But all that to say, a solid entry to Jesse Eisenbergs directorial collection.