A Real Pain (2025)

Jesse Eisenberg can be an infuriatingly irritating screen presence at times (his portrayal of Lex Luthor in Zac Snyder's Batman V Superman: Dawn of Justice [2016] is a particularly low bar), but depending on the context of the plot, the same sort of frantic awkward neuroticism he's so well known for can work wonders (Adventureland [2009], The Social Network [2010]).

A Real Pain is written, directed by, and stars Eisenberg as one of two Jewish American cousins traveling to Poland to see where their recently deceased Grandmother grew up. Eisenberg's David is married with a young child, with a solid job in digital marketing, but it's immediately obvious he isn't comfortable in his own skin. The opening sequence follows him on his way to the airport, repeatedly ringing his cousin Benji and leaving unanswered messages, hinting from the outset his own worrisome demeanor as well as his cousin's embryonic unreliability.

Both these suggestions are confirmed as soon as the two touch down in Warsaw. Benji, captured perfectly by Kieran Culkin in what constantly feels like a successful spin off from his role as Roman Roy in television's Succession (2018-2023), is somewhat of a loose canon with some flagrant, if as yet unrevealed, baggage. The two, as we soon learn, have been very close in the past, and have gone very different ways in their life with Benji-until fairly recently- living in his Mum's basement and smoking weed- a hobby that hasn't left him as he persuades David to smoke a joint on the roof of their hotel on the night of their arrival.

There's plenty of comedy amongst what can arguably described as a holocaust drama; the cousins are on a holocaust tour of the local area with a guide and a few others as they traverse various historical sites culminating in a chilling visit to Majdanek concentration camp, after which David and Benji leave the tour a day early to visit their Grandmother's home town.

Their Grandma Doris is of course the reason they're there- but it initially seems that Benji was the one closest to her and has been most affected by her passing, his chaotic life going nowhere fast whilst David has his affairs very much in order as far as a traditional box ticking exercise in life goes. But, we're left with a continual gnawing that all is not right in David's own head, despite his obvious contentment with his family. Tales of their previously close relationship come to the fore as Benji wishes David was more like he used to be, and David is exasperated at Benji's lack of drive; although each clearly has some yearnings of the life the other has.

It's this kind of bizarrity that makes A Real Pain work so well. It's almost mad to think that David would want or feel jealous of Benji's life because he's seemingly got everything; but it's only everything because that's what society dictates. David has box ticked his way into a 'normal' life, is generally content, but clearly misses the time he used to share with his cousin. Benji, although perhaps craving some of the security of David's existence, rages against the status quo. He questions why the group are traveling in a first-class train carriage through the country when their previous generations traveled in very different circumstances, he informs the tour guide that he's talking too much during a visit to a Jewish cemetery, and repeatedly pervades the group with his outlandish behaviour.

In one scene where David angrily queries why Benji is so self-destructive, the unspoken internal nod to the audience is that in some ways David has been just as damaging to himself; not because he's not successful and content- but because his crippling stress and neurosis about doing the right thing and toeing the line and doing everything that society asks as he's grown up, has conceivably resulted in him being just as unhappy as Benji. The difference is that Benji has identified his issues, even though he has some way to go to fully address them. It's also interesting that many people I've heard from about the film simply dismiss Benji as a waster, and define him as the ultimate pain- feeling sorry for David that someone with his head so screwed on should have to put up with his cousin's antics, completely missing the point.

The Real Pain of the title is directed at Benji as the opening shot suggests, revealing the title next to his head as he sits at the airport waiting for his cousin and it's absolutely the case that Benji, as we grow to realise, can indeed be a pain in the arse. But as has been openly spoken about by the film makers, the title is a double meaning that works very well- more than that, it works on several levels.

The film is about pain in different forms. The holocaust naturally looms large due to the crux of the film's plot and locations, dwelling on family pain and historical horrors, but in its intricate conversations within the broad spectrum of history are the real pains of everyday life. Eisenberg's decision to set all of this in a broadly comedic sphere is one that could have rendered the whole project untenable; instead it's a genius move that ensures the emotional heft of the piece weighs heavily and is fantastically effective. We often hide our pain behind a smile, or tell others we're fine when perhaps there's deeper problems enclosed, and especially in David's case it's hard to comprehend his own lack of spark for life when he outwardly assumes he should be happy- he's where you're 'supposed' to be at his age.

Towards the film's end when the pair leave the group, David is on the peripheral, almost an afterthought for those that are staying, whilst Benji- having caused problems and awkwardness amongst everyone- is the one who they will remember and who's had an impact.

The film's final shot is perfection. It's very rare that one leaves me with such a powerful jolt, but A Real Pain's ending sums up in a nutshell everything that has gone before, and also leaves things open to interpretation. It's not perfect, but it's one of the best comedy dramas I've seen in a very long time, and some recognition come awards season would be very welcome. 8.3/10