Join two brothers on a fun but uneventful trip to Poland
There aren’t many famous Kierans, so when one pops up, he will naturally catch my eye. Kieran Culkin has been on my radar since Scott Pilgrim vs. the World, but nobody would’ve called him famous until Succession blasted off—a show in which he played a charming and mannered young businessman with absolutely zero sexual hang-ups or father issues. Just a nice, normal dude. Yes, sir.
Now that the show is over (no spoilers: I’m still making my way through the final season), and Kieran Culkin’s stardom has been secured by his Golden Globe, Emmy, and S.A.G. Award wins, it behoves me to follow every move of his career with a devotion only a fellow Kieran can possess.
And so, it makes me incredibly smug to say that I was all-in on A Real Pain before Culkin won another Golden Globe for it. A low-budget, low-stakes buddy-comedy starring Culkin and Jesse Eisenberg? Say no more.
Lost the Plot
In honour of their recently deceased grandmother two ‘odd couple’ cousins, David (Eisenberg) and Benji (Culkin), take a trip to Poland where they join a tour group in the hopes of connecting with their heritage and better understanding the woman who had such an influence on them growing up.
When I’m writing a quick snapshot of a movie’s premise for a review, I usually like to leave things off at the end-of-act-one hook in order to foster some engagement, but A Real Pain doesn’t really have a strong enough plot to work one in.
Maybe a light plot is to be somewhat expected for a movie like this, so let’s just get this out of the way: A Real Pain is somewhat of a held breath. Culkin and Eisenberg both get to act their socks off in places, but I kept waiting for An Event to kick things into second gear.
It never came. This is a very subdued movie. It’s the kind of movie where nothing really happens. No wild hijinks, no explosive fallout, no twists. Their trip goes off with barely a hitch.
O Cousin, Where Art Thou?
It’s not boring, though. Culkin and Eisenberg possess enough personality, charm, and chemistry to make all of their scenes fun. Their simple yet effective relationship dynamics are all that the movie’s really about, and that’s not a bad thing.
You’ll come to the end of the movie knowing more about these two characters than you did at the start, and that’s about it. In terms of concrete, actionable change—there isn’t much. Both of these men are flawed in their own way, but the writing never really pushes them to do much about it.
Jesse Eisenberg himself has the sole screenwriting (and directing) credit on this movie, and I’m torn as to whether it was his intention to create something that skirted traditional screenwriting maxims, or whether he simply failed to achieve the level of catharsis that he was looking for.
Benji Roy
There is some attempt at discussions about the nature of suffering, but I’m not sure the narrative dug deep enough to strike gold. The movie takes a few beats to reflect on the shadow of the Holocaust, but even then I unfortunately didn’t find myself moved beyond a deep appreciation for Kieran Culkin's ability to convey a rich inner life even during moments of silence.
Jesse Eisenberg has his moments, too, and even though this pair are doing great work, both are doing versions of things I’ve seen them do before. Jesse Eisenberg plays an anxious Type A. Culkin plays an extraverted, somewhat abrasive Type B. I can’t fault these actors for playing to their strengths, but I can’t help but imagine what it would’ve been like to have their roles swapped for this movie—I think it would’ve been far more interesting.
A Real Pain is a brief, enjoyable time. It is a movie about human connection that manages to offer plenty of laughs, and I can see this becoming a real comfort movie for some people. Even if it didn't quite speak to me on the level that I wish it did, I'm still glad I watched it. It's the least I could do for a fellow Kieran.
Thanks for reading my review of A Real Pain. If you liked it, consider checking out my wishlist or buying me a cup of coffee at https://ko-fi.com/kieranobrien or below.
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