Writer/director Jesse Eisenberg explores his family’s history in A Real Pain, a poignant and heartfelt dramedy that follows two cousins on a journey of self-discovery and healing. Eisenberg stars opposite Kieran Culkin, with the filmmaker taking the less showy, more grounded role while Culkin portrays the complex, conflicted, and damaged cousin.
Benji (Culkin) and David (Eisenberg), just three weeks apart in age but vastly different in maturity levels, embark on a Heritage Tour in Poland in honor of their recently departed grandmother Dory. Dory, who was born in Poland and survived the Holocaust, left the cousins money to take the tour to learn more about their family history.
David’s personality is established in the opening minutes when he repeatedly calls Benji to give him updates on the traffic, always ending his messages with, “Ring me when you get this.” Benji never calls back but beats him to the airport, claiming he likes just hanging out there. David’s fastidious and handles all the arrangements and paperwork, while Benji’s more interested in making friends with random strangers, including a TSA agent.
Benji’s been in a funk since Dory died, and he doesn’t hold back his feelings while introducing himself to the other members of the small tour group. On the other hand, David, an introvert, gives away nothing personal during the introductions. That dichotomy continues as the tour gets underway, with Benji spurring on his fellow travelers to strike battle poses in front of the Warsaw Ghetto Uprising Monument while David is only grudgingly involved as the designated photographer. (He finds the photo op to be incredibly disrespectful.)
As the tour continues, Benji keeps the group entertained and engaged, his natural charisma drawing this small group to him like moths to a flame. However, he lacks a filter, and his troubled mental state becomes more evident with his unexpectedly emotional reactions to certain sights and situations on the tour.
Eisenberg shows true talent as a filmmaker, skillfully walking a fine line and never allowing the film to inject comedy at the expense of the overall subject. Culkin’s Benji is quite a character, uncontrolled and uncontrollable, finding humor in the weirdest places and keeping himself and others entertained with his unique observations.
Eisenberg gives the settings their appropriate respect, and once the tour enters the Majdanek concentration camp they move through absorbing the history without much conversation. Similar scenes provide history lessons, the impact of which lingers after the film.
Strewn among the historical sites are moments of bonding by the cousins that show the connection they once shared is still strong. Benji sincerely thanks David for being there with him, acknowledging that David’s placed himself in a group environment even though it makes him extremely uncomfortable. It’s these little moments where the film is so raw and heartbreaking.
Culkin gets the lion’s share of the meatiest scenes and feasts on them, but Eisenberg did write one pivotal scene for himself. After Benji leaves the group’s table following one of his rants, David has had enough. David finally pours out his feelings, acknowledging he loves/hates his cousin, and reveals a tragic period in Benji’s past. It’s an incredibly well-written and well-acted scene and could be one of Eisenberg’s best moments on screen.
But back to Culkin. Despite Benji’s mercurial emotional swings and occasionally inappropriate behavior, he still feels grounded. Benji says cringe-worthy things, but you never dislike him. That’s thanks to Culkin finding just the right balance in Benji’s personality. Culkin captures all sides of this damaged young man and never goes overboard in any direction.
A Real Pain is fiction but is based on Eisenberg’s family history. Discussing the film at the 2024 Sundance Film Festival, Eisenberg said he’s always wanted to make a movie in Poland. Many of the buildings and locations are part of his family’s past in 1930s Poland, including an apartment. Although it’s an incredibly personal film, A Real Pain makes a real connection with audiences who have nothing in common with the filmmaker’s history.
Kieran Culkin’s career’s red hot coming off four seasons on Succession, and his scene-stealing performance is just as riveting as anything he did as Roman Roy on HBO’s critically acclaimed drama. Culkin and writer/director/actor Jesse Eisenberg are perfectly matched, and together they deliver an entertaining film that’s moving and, more importantly, truthful.
GRADE: A-
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A Real Pain premiered at the 2024 Sundance Film Festival and won The Waldo Salt Screenwriting Award: U.S. Dramatic.
