Mismatched cousins David (Jesse Eisenberg) and Benji (Kieran Culkin) reunite for a tour through Poland to honour their beloved grandmother. The adventure takes a turn when the odd couple’s old tensions resurface against the backdrop of their family history.
The sophomore feature of indie cinema stalwart Jesse Eisenberg as director (following on from 2022’s When You Finish Saving the World), A Real Pain has generated waves of well-deserved awards buzz, praising its cathartic exploration of grief, heritage and powerful remembrance of the horrors of the Holocaust.
Eisenberg and Culkin gift the film two of the year’s best performances along the transformative journey, joined along the way by a host of wondrous supporting turns, including from The White Lotus‘ Will Sharpe and Dirty Dancing‘s Jennifer Grey.