Film: A Real Pain [2024] – Kieran Culkin, Jesse Eisenberg on Disney Plus

A Real Pain is surprisingly an easy watch. Jesse Eisenberg is great, but Kieran Culkin is the real star here.

Promoted as a comedy drama, the movie offers a dominant performance from Kieran Culkin, but its narrative remains mired in an indulgent surface of conversations that drains the emotion from its journey about brotherhood, depression and suffering.

Two hours later, I don’t remember much from the movie except Culkin’s standout performance. From example, the conversations about the holocaust barely scratch the surface considering the filming locations. Adding salt to the wound, halfway into the movie, we switch to mental health and suicide. And those conversations don’t fare better.

Looking back, some might blame Eisenberg for the shortcomings of A Real Pain. After all, he’s the writer and director, and a costar. Lots of things to balance. And it shows. It is difficult for a film like this, with a 90-minute runtime, to handle so many emotions in such a short time.

To be honest, it is a good movie. However, the film remains in tepid waters for most of its duration. It is not particularly inventive or diverting and misses a lot. Yet, not all movies have Kieran Culkin in the best role of his career, thankfully.

Should You Watch It?

Despite the heavy subject matter, holocaust, suicide, addition and more, it’s a fairly breezy film with a light touch. A Real Pain has a commendable lack of self-importance and several laugh-out-loud moments, which ensures its emotional highpoints are all the more potent.

Where Can I Watch It?

You can stream A Real Pain exclusively on Hulu in USA and Disney+ everywhere else.