‘A Real Pain’ Review: Kieran Culkin Shines in Jesse Eisenberg’s Triumphant and Thoughtful Dramedy

It can sometimes be worrying when a film is directed by one of its stars, and even doubly concerning when that person is also the writer. There’s the strong possibility for a film to be turned into a vanity project in these circumstances. Luckily, A Real Pain is nothing of the sort. Actor-writer-director Jesse Eisenberg has instead assembled a lovely film that’s equal parts hilarious and moving, and simply one of the year’s best. He’s helped by an incredibly vulnerable, livewire performance from his co-star Kieran Culkin and even manages to direct himself to what might be the greatest work of his career.

Eisenberg plays David, a neurotic man with OCD who does his best to keep his head down and not make waves. Culkin plays his complete opposite – his cousin Benji, who never hides his true thoughts or feelings regarding any situation, no matter the circumstances. David offers to take Benji on a unique vacation: they fly to Poland for a Jewish heritage tour, exploring the history of their people leading up to and including the Holocaust. Specifically, they hope to forge a closer connection to their late grandmother, who survived a Polish concentration camp before immigrating to America and living the successful life that laid the foundation for David and Benji’s existences. While in Poland, the two men try to come to terms with their similarities and differences, both of which are sharply defined and yet constantly surprising.

If that sounds like fairly heavy material, it’s important to note that A Real Pain is decidedly a comedy, with most of the humor springing from Benji’s borderline antisocial yet strangely compelling behavior. The contrast between him and the buttoned-up David (metaphorically and literally – his button-up shirts are almost always strangely clasped with a single button, as if he struggles to let loose even the tiniest bit) is both hilarious and impactful. The two men had very similar upbringings with shared circumstances, and yet they turned out so different. David struggles with this dichotomy, expressing his frustration in a moving monologue (the highpoint of Eisenberg’s work as an actor, up to this point) where he says “I love him and I hate him and I wanna kill him and I wanna be him.” 

This straightforward-yet-clever type of writing is sprinkled throughout the screenplay. Eisenberg’s authorial voice is sharp yet never overly heady, and always based in the characters’ individual realities. For example, both Benji and David have a habit of tossing off well-worded quips and observations, showing their similar intelligence levels. But their remarks have different shadings to them which show their intentions behind what they’re saying – Benji’s cleverness is natural and unassuming, while David’s is often meant to subtly impress (at one point he punctuates an observation about the different paths their lives could have taken by remarking “there but for the grace of no God go I,” which is only met with confusion). There’s not only truth to be found in the dialogue, but well-thought-out character details.

But the screenplay’s secret weapon is the way it explores identity and the impact of familial hardship and triumphs on successive generations. As they make their way through Poland, David merely observes whereas Benji plunges himself into the history of his people and ancestors, at times to excess. He’s the personification of the idea that trauma is embedded in genetics – he can’t help but feel at every moment and constantly seek out truthful connections to the past. One might say he’s in search of unvarnished, real pain. A singular stunning sequence shows how the remnants of Jewish life from centuries before are hidden amongst modern architecture and infrastructure – an old temple above an office supply store, a broken-off staircase that once led to a tailor’s shop. Despite oppression, persecution, and indignity, the literal foundation of the lives led by Benji and David’s ancestors remain, past the survivors and the dead alike. And within the two men, the remnants of those who came before also poke out at times, greeting the modern world with joy and defiance in the face of centuries of mistreatment. The beautiful irony of Benji and David’s journey is that they crossed an ocean for evidence of their past when it could be found within them all along.

Eisenberg delivers stunning work, but Culkin is the true standout of the film, giving a performance that will be talked about as career-defining for the rest of his life. He pushes the limits of acceptable behavior and yet the audience only ever wants to see more of him. His disruptions and outbursts are often uncomfortable, but Culkin imbues them with such a deep level of pathos that they never become annoying or even unwelcome. His idiosyncrasies are understandable, thanks in equal part to Eisenberg’s well-structured character writing. Culkin also shows a great perception for his physical appearance. Benji is obviously unpredictable, and the audience is subtly trained to expect when he’ll have an outburst by observing his posture and mannerisms. Culkin’s heavily-lidded eyes alone do as much work for his characterization as any spoken observation about him.

A Real Pain is an emotional, comedic triumph. Eisenberg has tapped into something utterly honest with his screenplay. It’ll move anyone with a family, regardless of their ancestral makeup. In fact, the details that make the film so specific in its exploration are so well founded and examined that the film achieves the miracle of somehow being universal without ever sacrificing what makes its characters, or their journey, unique.

Grade: A-

A Real Pain is currently in select theaters. Searchlight Pictures will expand release in the coming weeks.