Now available on digital (Prime Video, Apple TV, and Fandango at Home) is the film A Real Pain. The film will be available on Blu-ray February 4, 2025.
The film stars Jesse Eisenberg, Kieran Culkin, Jennifer Grey, Will Sharpe, Kurt Egyiawan, Liza Sadovy, and Daniel Oreskes. Jesse Eisenberg is also the film’s screenwriter, director and producer. Actress Emma Stone is also one of the producers of this film.
A Real Pain has been nominated for 4 Golden Globe Awards® including Best Picture, Best Actor Jesse Eisenberg, Best Supporting Actor Kieran Culkin and Best Screenplay. The film won the Waldo Salt Screenwriting Award at the Sundance Film Festival earlier this year.
Mismatched cousins, David (Eisenberg) and Benji (Culkin), reunite for a tour through Poland to honor their beloved grandmother. The adventure takes a turn when the pair’s old tensions resurface against the backdrop of their family history.
I will be 100% honest when I say I never even heard if this film. Nor do I recall seeing it in theaters. From what I gather it was in theaters this past November. Sometimes I feel like I live “under a rock.”
When I first received the code to screen this film, I was thinking this must be a comedy. At least that is the impression I got when I watched the trailer for the first time. I was thinking this was going to be a funny, silly “buddy” movie. It was NOT. There might have been a bit of levity here and there, but this film is more “deep” and thought provoking than it is humorous. I was a bit shocked. But, in a good way.
Kieran Culkin and Jesse Eisenberg in A REAL PAIN. Photo Courtesy of Searchlight Pictures. © 2024 Searchlight Pictures All Rights Reserved.
Even though Eisenberg was the screenwriter, directors and one of the producers of this film, I believe Culkin is the one who stands out the most. I have only ever seen him in comedies (Home Alone, Home Alone 2, She’s All That, the Father of the Bride movie franchise…). I have never seen him in a more serious role. When it comes to the humor in this film, it’s mostly at the hands of Culkin’s character, Benji. However, Culkin shows off his more dramatic acting skills in this film. I was pleasantly surprised. I know that Eisenberg was nominated for Best Actor for this film, but personally I think Culkin should have been nominated. Of course, that is just my opinion.
As for Eisenberg, his character feels a bit like other characters he’s played in other films. He reminds me of Woody Allen in the way that the way he acts and talks has the same “feel” about them, regardless of the film (if that makes any sense at all). Another words, unlike Culkin, Eisenberg didn’t surprise me in this film. He was exactly as I expected he’d be.
It was nice to see Jennifer Grey in a major motion picture. I can’t recall her in anything since Ferris Bueller’s Day Off. I know she’s done other films since then, but that is the last film I have seen her in. She’s aging well.
I appreciate that this movie was filmed around Poland. It added more authenticity to the story. I think it also helped to bring home some of the emotional pain the characters experience in this film. It’s as if their pain and the pain of the people who suffered during the Holocaust have some kind of connection (not outwardly of course). Even though their visit was for a serious purpose, Poland looks like a beautiful country.
I liked the secondary characters in this film. They came across as authentic and genuine people. There was no “over acting” from any of them.
Jesse Eisenberg and Kieran Culkin in A REAL PAIN. Photo Courtesy of Searchlight Pictures, © 2024 Searchlight Pictures All Rights Reserved.
This film is not normally my “cup of tea,” but I am glad that I had the opportunity to learn about it and watch it. I’m just sorry that I didn’t know about this film sooner.
Look for A Real Pain where ever you stream movies (Prime Video, Apple TV, and Fandango at Home). You can also look for it on Blu-ray where ever you purchase movies in February.
Bonus Features
- Beautiful Fate: Making A Real Pain – Take a tour through the heart and history of Poland while going behind the scenes of A Real Pain. Explore the themes of family and connection with Jesse Eisenberg and Kieran Culkin. Experience all the humor and humanity that brought this story to life.
This film was released by Searchlight Pictures. Be sure to check them out on social media to keep up-to-date on new movie releases. You can also visit them online at SearchlightPictures.com.
Instagram: @SearchlightPics
Twitter: @SearchlightPics
Facebook: @SearchlightPics
TikTok: @SearchlightPics
The film’s official hashtag is #ARealPain if you want to check out what others have to say about this film.
This film is rated R and has a run time of 89 minutes.
Below is the film’s trailer for your enjoyment.
Kimberly
*I received a free copy of this film in order to do this review. There was no compensation. The opinions expressed are my own and not influenced in any way.
