--- title: "A Real Pain" year: 2024 kind: "film" canonical: "https://film.one/film/a-real-pain" fi1m_id: "a-real-pain" imdb_id: "tt21823606" tmdb_id: 1013850 wikidata_id: "Q123690368" fi1m_score: 76 critics_score: 77 critics_reviews: 13 published: "2026-09-09" updated: "2026-09-18T08:37:55.763068+00:00" region: "US" licence: "© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL." --- # A Real Pain (2024) Directed by Jesse Eisenberg · 1h 30m · MPA R · Comedy, Drama ## Identity A Real Pain - **Canonical:** https://film.one/film/a-real-pain - **Type:** Film - **Fi1m ID:** a-real-pain - **IMDb ID:** tt21823606 - **TMDB ID:** 1013850 - **Wikidata ID:** Q123690368 - **Same entity:** https://www.imdb.com/title/tt21823606/, https://www.themoviedb.org/movie/1013850, https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q123690368 **Fi1m score: 76** · Critics 77 from 13 reviews *In a sentence:* Kieran Culkin hugs strangers, cries at statues and steals the film from the man who wrote it > Jesse Eisenberg’s second film sends two cousins on a Holocaust tour of Poland and lets Kieran Culkin loose on it. It is funny, short and sadder than it lets on; it is also thinner around the edges than the performance at its centre. ## Synopsis David and Benji Kaplan are cousins who grew up almost as brothers and have drifted apart. David (Jesse Eisenberg) has a job, a wife, a small son and a bottle of pills; Benji (Kieran Culkin) has none of those things and says whatever comes into his head. Their grandmother, who survived the war in Poland and got out, has died and left them money to see where she came from. They join a small heritage tour led by James (Will Sharpe), a British guide, alongside Marcia (Jennifer Grey), Eloge (Kurt Egyiawan) and a married couple, Mark and Diane (Daniel Oreskes and Liza Sadovy). The plan is to finish at her old house. Benji has other plans, or none. ## Review Jesse Eisenberg has written and directed a comedy about two Jewish American cousins who fly to Poland to see the camps, and he has cast himself as the one you are not meant to warm to. David Kaplan (Eisenberg) has a job, a wife, a small son and a bottle of pills. Benji (Kieran Culkin) has a bedroom in his mother’s basement and a habit of saying what everyone else is too polite to say. Their grandmother has died and left them money to see the country she survived and left, so they join a small heritage tour and plan to finish at her old house. It runs 90 minutes, funny for most of them and sad for the rest, and it is at its best whenever Culkin is talking. When he stops, you notice how little has been built around him. Culkin is the reason to see it. Benji hugs strangers at the airport, hands round a joint on a hotel roof, tells the guide his tour has too many dates and not enough people, and cries at things nobody else has noticed. Culkin does not play any of this for charm. He plays a man who is right about half the time and unbearable for all of it, and he keeps the panic visible under the noise. It is the best work he has done. Eisenberg gives himself the thinner part and plays it honestly. He has spent twenty years as the fast-talking anxious one, and David is that man grown up and wanting credit for it: he has coped, he has medicated, and he cannot understand why nobody is impressed. The script sides with Benji more often than it should, and in the middle David’s case is made for him in a speech rather than found in a scene. Even so, the two of them are good company, and the film knows when to leave them alone in a hotel room. The moment we keep coming back to is early, in Warsaw. Benji decides the group should climb on to a war memorial and pose among the bronze soldiers, while David hangs back with the camera and the face of a man whose flight has been cancelled. We laughed, properly, and then we did not much want to have. That is how the film works: the joke and the discomfort arrive together and Eisenberg does not tell you which one to keep. Michał Dymek shoots Poland in flat grey daylight with no attempt to make it pretty, and stays close on faces in trains, coaches and hotel corridors. Between scenes Robert Nassau cuts to still shots of blocks of flats, tram stops, a courtyard, a synagogue, and the only music under them is Chopin, on a solo piano and left alone. Mela Melak’s hotels look like every package-tour hotel you have stayed in, which is right. Małgorzata Fudala puts Benji in cargo shorts and a hoodie, dressed for a different holiday, and David in the zipped jacket of a man who has read the itinerary. The tour’s most serious stop is shot without music and almost without words, and that is the correct decision. The trouble is everyone who is not a Kaplan. Will Sharpe’s James is a British guide who studied all this at university and lost nobody to it, and Sharpe plays him carefully, as a man who knows the dates and is starting to suspect they are not enough. He gets one scene where Benji takes him apart and one where he answers, and both are good. The others get less. Jennifer Grey’s Marcia is recently divorced, Kurt Egyiawan’s Eloge survived Rwanda and converted, and Daniel Oreskes and Liza Sadovy are a married couple who mostly nod. Each is handed one speech and a reaction shot. Egyiawan makes the most of his, and the film seems aware there is a larger story in Eloge that it has decided not to tell. Set against Eisenberg’s first film as a director, *When You Finish Saving the World*, this is a clear step up: warmer, funnier and less pleased with its own bad mood. Set against the odd-couple road film in general it sits in the upper half, held there by one performance. The last stretch declines to tie anything off. Some critics have found that a little cold; we found it honest. Watch it with a relative you love and would not choose to travel with, and do not expect the film to tell either of you who was right. *Fi1m score 76, published 9 September 2026.* ## What the critics say The reviews for A Real Pain agree almost to a fault. Nearly every critic singles out Kieran Culkin as Benji, the volatile cousin, and most treat his performance as the reason the film works; several call it a step up from anything he has done before. Jesse Eisenberg’s writing and direction draw steady credit for keeping comedy and Holocaust remembrance in the same frame without one crowding out the other, and for a script that finds its laughs in awkward silences. The reservations are quiet: a few find the filmmaking modest next to the acting, Sight and Sound thinks it does not quite hold together as either a road trip or a character study, and one or two note that it ends without easy relief. The one clear dissent comes from The New Yorker, which finds the film stronger as an idea than as drama, the buddy-comedy shtick getting in the way of what it wants to say about inherited trauma. The spread is narrow. ## Straight answers **Is A Real Pain worth watching?** *A Real Pain* is worth watching for anyone who enjoys a short, funny, uncomfortable film built around one performance, and we scored it 76. Kieran Culkin is the reason to see it, playing a man who is right about half the time and unbearable for all of it. The tour group around the two cousins is thinly drawn, so go for Culkin rather than the ensemble. **How long is A Real Pain, and what is it rated?** *A Real Pain* runs 1h 30m and is rated R by the MPA in the US. It is a comedy and drama film. **Where can I watch A Real Pain in the US?** *A Real Pain* is streaming on Hulu and Disney+ in the US, and it is also available to rent from Amazon Prime Video from $3.99. Availability is checked daily; the links above go straight to each service. **How violent or frightening is A Real Pain, and is it suitable for children?** *A Real Pain* is a 15 certificate in the UK and rated R in the US, and it is a comedy-drama about a Holocaust heritage tour rather than a violent film. Expect strong language, a joint passed round on a hotel roof, pills, and a serious stop at a camp shot without music and almost without words. It suits older teenagers who can sit with grief and discomfort; it is not for young children. **How does A Real Pain compare to Toni Erdmann?** *A Real Pain* and [*Toni Erdmann*](https://film.one/film/toni-erdmann) are both comedies in which one relative embarrasses another abroad, and in both the laughs and the discomfort land together. Eisenberg's film is shorter and leaner, held up by Kieran Culkin, while Maren Ade's takes more time with its supporting world and gives both leads a full part. Choose *A Real Pain* for a quick, sad evening; *Toni Erdmann* if you have patience for the longer, richer film. **What should I watch after A Real Pain?** After *A Real Pain*, try [*Toni Erdmann*](https://film.one/film/toni-erdmann) (2016, Fi1m 86): A father embarrasses his daughter across Bucharest; the laughs hurt in the same places. Then [*Ida*](https://film.one/film/ida) (2013, Fi1m 85): Poland in black and white, and a young woman learning what happened to her family. ### Reviews we read (25) - **Variety**, Owen Gleiberman (Critics Pick): Eisenberg reveals major chops as writer-director in this funny, heady road movie about cousins on a Holocaust tour in Poland. Culkin gives a sensational performance establishing him as a movie star, with the film deftly interweaving comedy and gravitas. [Read](https://variety.com/2024/film/reviews/a-real-pain-review-jesse-eisenberg-kieran-culkin-1235881023/) - **Time Out**, Phil de Semlyen (4/5): The review praises the spiky, funny and personal road-trip movie and the inspired pairing of Culkin and Eisenberg, highlighting Culkin's performance which adds melancholy and despair amid awkward laughs. [Read](https://www.timeout.com/movies/a-real-pain-review-2024) - **Vulture**, Bilge Ebiri (80/100, inferred): The critic calls it a touching character study anchored by Culkin's lively performance, a light movie with a heavy heart that moves gently while hinting at darkness underneath, capturing the dissonance of living amid infinite evil through the cousins' bickering and bonding on the tour. [Read](https://www.vulture.com/article/a-real-pain-jesse-eisenbergs-movie-is-a-gentle-pleasure.html) - **The AV Club** (B-): The critic finds the film a charming, sensitive two-hander that balances its Holocaust tour narrative and odd-couple comedy, marking an improvement over Eisenberg's debut with wry humor and gut-wrenching heartache, though it ends on a slightly cynical note without simple catharsis. [Read](https://www.avclub.com/a-real-pain-review) - **The New Yorker**, Richard Brody (40/100, inferred): The film is seen as far better as a concept than as a drama, with a shticky bromance that obscures its attempt to probe the Holocaust legacy. Eisenberg’s effort to find an original cinematic form for the moral burden falls short despite strong conceptual elements. [Read](https://www.newyorker.com/culture/the-front-row/a-real-pain-fails-to-stay-in-its-discomfort-zone) - **Empire**, Ian Freer: The film is a sublime mismatched-buddy comedy and road trip that balances funny, solemn, and emotional tones through strong central performances. It succeeds as a tender, funny treatise on family jealousies and our relationship to the past, soaring on the pairing of Eisenberg and Culkin despite modest filmmaking. [Read](https://www.empireonline.com/movies/reviews/a-real-pain/) - **Los Angeles Times**, Gary Goldstein: Eisenberg’s dramedy is beautifully observed and affecting in its look at mismatched cousins traveling through Poland on a Jewish heritage tour. Culkin delivers a career-best performance as the vivid, compelling Benji, while Eisenberg shows growth as a filmmaker juggling tones. [Read](https://www.latimes.com/entertainment-arts/movies/story/2024-11-01/a-real-pain-review-jewish-heritage-jesse-eisenberg-kieran-culkin) - **Screen Daily**: The review describes a deeply felt comedy-drama that is uproariously funny yet melancholic, exploring the shadow of the Holocaust and familial bonds, while praising Culkin's impressive performance as the free-spirited cousin who complements Eisenberg. [Read](https://www.screendaily.com/reviews/a-real-pain-sundance-review/5189652.article) - **Sight and Sound**: The critic finds the film an intelligent take on Holocaust remembrance through a neurotic buddy movie, praising the electric pairing of Eisenberg and Culkin for wit and sensitivity, but notes it doesn’t fully work as a road-trip or character study. [Read](https://www.bfi.org.uk/sight-and-sound/reviews/real-pain-jesse-eisenbergs-neurotic-buddy-movie-intelligent-take-holocaust-remembrance) - **The Guardian**: The film is a whip-sharp comedy and profound character study driven by the sparring between the two cousins, with a career-defining performance from Culkin. Eisenberg’s direction balances irreverence and pathos effectively in this personal story of generational trauma. [Read](https://www.theguardian.com/film/2025/jan/12/a-real-pain-review-jesse-eisenberg-and-kieran-culkin-spar-in-sublimely-bittersweet-holocaust-tour-movie) - **The Hollywood Reporter**, David Rooney: The critic praises Eisenberg's deft lightness in balancing laugh-out-loud humor with an unexpectedly affecting emotional wallop in this odd-couple road trip about cousins honoring their grandmother in Poland. It demonstrates impeccable judgment in reconciling personal troubles with historical trauma. [Read](https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-reviews/a-real-pain-review-jesse-eisenberg-kieran-culkin-1235794351/) - **The Independent**: Eisenberg’s film derives its tender power from genuine questions about generational trauma and grief, framed as an ellipsis that returns the cousins to the start without resolving what happens next. It is elevated by Culkin’s exposed-nerve, wrecking-ball performance as the volatile Benji, which anchors the honest exploration of pain, privilege, and family bonds. [Read](https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/films/reviews/a-real-pain-review-b2674466.html) - **The New York Times**, Manohla Dargis (NYT Critic’s Pick): The critic praises Eisenberg’s finely tuned, melancholic yet funny exploration of Jewish loss and belonging through the cousins’ heritage tour in Poland. Culkin’s performance as the complicated Benji stands out as outstanding. [Read](https://www.nytimes.com/2024/10/31/movies/a-real-pain-review-jesse-eisenberg.html) - **The Telegraph**, Tim Robey: A welcome throwback to indie comedy-drama that is ruefully perceptive and laugh-out-loud funny, presenting characters with issues that are understood without artificial fixes. Culkin delivers a killer characterisation that awards-bound. [Read](https://www.telegraph.co.uk/films/0/a-real-pain-review-jesse-eisenberg-kieran-culkin/) - **The Times**: Eisenberg has pulled off a balancing act that is perfectly weighted between bleak and warm, poignant and irreverent. The double act of Culkin and Eisenberg is captivating, with wise and funny observations on the immigrant experience. [Read](https://www.thetimes.com/culture/film/article/a-real-pain-review-jesse-eisenberg-kieran-culkin-movie-g2sc6jpm7) - **Total Film**, Jordan Farley: Kieran Culkin delivers a compelling, can’t-take-your-eyes-off performance as the raw-nerved Benji at the gravitational center of this sincere, funny Polish pilgrimage. The film makes a sincere attempt to reckon with Poland’s Jewish history while balancing lighter moments, leaving a profound impression despite occasional difficulty matching the depth of its characters’ emotions. [Read](https://www.gamesradar.com/a-real-pain-review/) - **Collider**, Taylor Gates (9/10): The critic praises the pitch-perfect dramedy blending humor and depth on grief and Holocaust history, highlighting Kieran Culkin's standout performance as Benji. [Read](https://collider.com/a-real-pain-movie-review/) - **Consequence** (A-): The review highlights Eisenberg's evolution as filmmaker and Culkin's gift of a role, praising the profound character study contrasting personal emotions with historical pain. [Read](https://consequence.net/2024/10/a-real-pain-review-jesse-eisenberg/) - **Eye for Film**, Jeremy Mathews (85/100, inferred): An awkward, moving and funny exploration of familial and ancestral trauma that never feels rushed, elevated by Culkin's commanding, career-defining performance as the magnetic yet volatile Benji. [Read](https://www.eyeforfilm.co.uk/review/a-real-pain-2024-film-review-by-jeremy-mathews) - **HeyUGuys**, Nathan McVay (4/5): A terrific sophomore effort that is an enjoyable, easy watch blending humor with relatable issues of grief and identity while handling heavy subject matter respectfully. [Read](https://www.heyuguys.com/a-real-pain-review/) - **NME**, James Mottram (4/5): The critic praises Eisenberg's sensitive direction and the incisive performances, especially Culkin's, in this poignant comedy-drama about two cousins on a heritage tour in Poland. They highlight the film's witty script and respectful handling of Holocaust themes without sentimentality. [Read](https://www.nme.com/reviews/film-reviews/a-real-pain-review-kieran-culkin-jesse-eisenberg-3835641) - **Polygon**, Austen Goslin (80/100, inferred): The critic finds it great, commending the deft script, fantastic performances especially Culkin's, and the powerful exploration of personal relationships and history without grand statements. [Read](https://www.polygon.com/reviews/24050799/real-pain-kieran-culkin-jesse-eisenberg-succession-sundance-2024/) - **The Wrap**, Chase Hutchinson (80/100, inferred): The critic finds the film a hilarious and heartfelt dramedy that succeeds through its tonal balance. Culkin's lead performance as the troubled, charismatic cousin is singled out as mesmerizing and among his best. [Read](https://www.thewrap.com/kieran-culkin-jesse-eisenberg-a-real-pain-review/) - **Film Stories**, Maria Lattila (75/100, inferred): The film is devastating yet rib-ticklingly funny at once, with Culkin's complex, riveting performance as the damaged Benji carrying the two-hander about grief, identity and family tension. [Read](https://filmstories.co.uk/reviews/a-real-pain-review-kieran-culkin-carries-jesse-eisenbergs-sophomore-film/) - **The Playlist**, Gregory Ellwood (A-/B+): A funny and moving dramedy about cousins on a Poland tour that balances serious themes with humor, with Culkin stealing the film in a superb, layered performance. [Read](https://theplaylist.net/a-real-pain-review-kieran-culkin-is-superb-in-jesse-eisenbergs-funny-moving-dramedy-sundance-20240120/) ## Details - **Director:** Jesse Eisenberg - **Director:** Jesse Eisenberg - **Writer:** Jesse Eisenberg - **Cinematography:** Michał Dymek - **Editor:** Robert Nassau - **Production design:** Mela Melak - **Costume design:** Małgorzata Fudala - **Producer:** Ali Herting, Emma Stone, Dave McCary - **Cast:** Jesse Eisenberg as David Kaplan; Kieran Culkin as Benji Kaplan; Will Sharpe as James; Jennifer Grey as Marcia; Kurt Egyiawan as Eloge; Liza Sadovy as Diane; Daniel Oreskes as Mark; Ellora Torchia as Priya - **Runtime:** 1h 30m - **Certificate (MPA):** R - **Release (the US):** 15 November 2024 - **Genres:** Comedy, Drama - **Also in:** [Golden Globe Best Musical or Comedy winners](https://film.one/collections/golden-globe-comedy.md) (Nominee, 2024) - **Budget:** $3 million - **Box office:** $25 million - **Trailer:** https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E_sjoa8aHpc ## Where to watch in the US - Hulu: streaming, uhd - Disney+: streaming, uhd - Amazon Prime Video: rent $3.99, uhd - Amazon Prime Video: buy $19.99, uhd *Checked 2026-09-10.* Also available in: AR, AT, AU, BE, BG, BR, CA, CH, CL, CO, CZ, DE, DK, EC, EE, ES, FI, FR, GB, GR, HK, HR, HU, IE, IN, IS, IT, JP, KR, LT, MX, NL, NO, NZ, PA, PE, PL, PT, RO, RS, SE, SG, SI, TR, US. Add `?region=XX` to this URL for another country. ## If you liked this - *Everything Is Illuminated* (2005): Another American goes east to find a grandparent’s village and finds mostly awkwardness. - *The Trip* (2010): Two men who cannot stop competing, in cars and restaurants, over six lunches. - *Toni Erdmann* (2016), Fi1m 86: A father embarrasses his daughter across Bucharest; the laughs hurt in the same places. — [Fi1m page](https://film.one/film/toni-erdmann.md) - *Ida* (2013), Fi1m 85: Poland in black and white, and a young woman learning what happened to her family. — [Fi1m page](https://film.one/film/ida.md) - *The Meyerowitz Stories* (2017): Adult siblings, an impossible father, and nobody willing to say the obvious thing first. --- © Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL. Canonical: https://film.one/film/a-real-pain