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A Real Pain

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02:21

A Real Pain

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• Comedy
• Drama

• 2024
• Jesse Eisenberg
• 89 mins
• 15

Summary

Comedy drama starring Jesse Eisenberg and Kieran Culkin. Cousins David and Benji have grown apart in recent years, with their lives going in dramatically different directions. The pair reunite for a trip to their ancestral home in Poland, where they aim to connect with their Jewish heritage and honour their late grandmother. However, the tour stirs up strong emotions that threaten to bubble over.

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Review

A star rating of 4 out of 5.

Patrick Cremona

Jesse Eisenberg writes, directs and stars in this touching comedy drama, which is loosely inspired by his own family history. He plays David, a well-adjusted if rather uptight New Yorker embarking on a tour of Poland with his semi-estranged cousin Benji (Kieran Culkin), who leads a notably less settled life. The trip is intended to honour their late grandmother, who had survived the Holocaust before emigrating to the US. As the cousins wrestle with this deep-rooted family trauma, though, the focus also extends to painful memories in the more recent past. Eisenberg's sharp, witty script expertly teases out an emotionally complex history between the pair, and their dynamic - by turns tetchy and tender - feels totally genuine. Culkin won a best supporting actor Oscar for his role, and he is in fine form, especially as it becomes clear that Benji's brash, impulsive demeanour is masking a deep vulnerability. Despite the heavy subject matter, it's a fairly breezy film with a light touch, a commendable lack of self-importance and several laugh-out-loud moments, which ensures its emotional highpoints are all the more potent.

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7.0/10

How to watch

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Streaming

• Disney+
• Sky Store

Credits

Cast

rolenameDavid KaplanJesse EisenbergBenji KaplanKieran CulkinJamesWill SharpeMarshaJennifer GreyElogeKurt EgyiawanDianeLiza SadovyMarkDaniel Oreskes

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Crew

rolenameDirectorJesse Eisenberg

Details

Theatrical distributor

Walt Disney

Released on

2025-01-08

Languages

English | Polish

Guidance

Swearing, drug abuse

Formats

Colour

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