A Real Pain

Jesse Eisenberg's sophmore film is an irresistible dramedy

Actors can quickly become typecast into specific roles. Jesse Eisenberg, for example, has consistently played a neurotic, socially awkward intellectual since The Social Network (2010). Similarly, Kieran Culkin seems to be settling into the niche of a wisecracking loose cannon following his iconic turn in Succession (2018–2023).

A Real Pain (2024) follows two estranged cousins, Benji (Culkin) and David (Eisenberg), who were once close in childhood but have drifted apart as adults. After their grandmother’s passing, they travel to her ancestral home in Poland in an attempt to reconnect—with their roots and with each other.

The film marks Eisenberg’s second directorial effort after When You Finish Saving the World (2022). Here, he demonstrates a sharp ability to balance comedy and drama; jokes never overstay their welcome, leaving audiences wanting more, while the emotional moments feel organic rather than exaggerated for effect. A Real Pain is also tightly constructed, both in its character focus and its brisk 90-minute runtime—yet it somehow feels even shorter.

At its core, A Real Pain is about trauma and the weight of painful emotions, whether they stem from personal interactions, individual pasts, or generational inheritance. Eisenberg resists making any grand declarations about his film’s themes, instead allowing them to overlap in a natural, tangled way. This is reflected in the complexity of the characters themselves. At times, you may find yourself rooting for Benji in a conflict, while in others, his behavior is infuriating, making you side with David instead. This fluidity in perspective highlights the flaws and contradictions we all carry, and Eisenberg weaves this human messiness into his characters without ever sacrificing their consistency or appeal.

While A Real Pain is structured as a two-hander, Culkin completely steals the film. He plays a version of his Succession character, Roman Roy, but with an added depth—a hidden pain that flickers behind his eyes even as he fires off a quip or joke. Culkin exudes an effortless charm that makes Benji endearing even in his most obnoxious moments. Eisenberg, meanwhile, pulls double duty as director and actor, playing to his familiar strengths as an anxious, bookish figure. However, there’s an added strain in his portrayal—an unspoken history in his interactions with Benji—that adds dimension to his performance in a way that some viewers might overlook.

Ultimately, A Real Pain is a wonderfully compact and emotionally resonant dramedy, anchored by Eisenberg’s no-frills direction and Culkin’s scene-stealing performance. The film raises compelling questions about emotional suppression, personal growth, and generational trauma—questions that Eisenberg is wise enough to pose but not to answer, leaving viewers to grapple with them on their own.

8.2/10