A REAL PAIN
Starring: Jesse Eisenberg, Kieran Culkin, Will Sharpe, Jennifer Grey, Kurt Egyiawan, Liza Sadovy, and Daniel Oreskes
Director: Jesse Eisenberg
KATIE
A Real Pain is charmingly funny and artfully written, with a quick-witted script that is driven by the endearing dynamic between writer-director-star Jesse Eisenberg and Kieran Culkin, who brings his lovable, signature nervous energy to the role. They are a compelling double act with perfect comedic timing, but the film is also emotional and thought-provoking, exploring mental health, the weight of history, and the difficulties found in supporting and understanding those closest to us. Overall, A Real Pain is a tender, dryly funny, indie drama with a scene-stealing performance from Culkin.
ADRIANO
After his first film was a huge pretentious miss for me, writer/director/star Jesse Eisenberg steps up big time with A Real Pain. While his direction is nothing extraordinary, his writing gives way to a funny and emotionally cathartic odd-couple dramedy that gives us two very memorable characters and a beautiful examination of generational heritage and familial trauma. While Eisenberg's performance is excellent, Kieran Culkin gives a groundbreaking turn that plays to his strengths, hiding a deep and heartbreaking reality under the surface. Honestly, the more I digest A Real Pain, the more I fall for it.
PAIGE
A Real Pain is a significant improvement for Jesse Eisenberg’s second crack at the director’s chair. Although its screenplay tends to tell you how the characters are feeling instead of just showing you, at least Eisenberg’s words on the page and Kieran Culkin's tour de force performance capture a raw honesty about grief and how we carry our inner turmoil in such a humane way. Their (Eisenberg and Culkin) yin-and-yang character dynamic throughout this buddy road trip, while complicated, is endearing, and is what ends up truly holding the movie together.
This film was reviewed by Katie as part of Bitesize Breakdown's coverage of the 2024 BFI London Film Festival.