Common Sense Media Review
By Tara McNamara
,
based on child development research. How do we rate?
Comedy mixes humor with tragic history, mature content.
Parents Need to Know
Why Age 16+?
Any Positive Content?
Where to Watch
Videos and Photos
A Real Pain
What's the Story?
In A REAL PAIN, estranged Jewish cousins David (Jesse Eisenberg, who also wrote and directed the film) and Benji (Kieran Culkin) are two generations removed from the events of the Holocaust and are dealing with their connection to that horrible tragedy in very different ways. Benji feels everything and isn't sure how to sit with the suffering, oppression, and deprivation experienced by their grandmother and others, while David has compartmentalized his ancestral history and is living in the moment with a happy life, working a job that isn't changing the world but pays the bills and focusing on his wife, child, and nice home. Fulfilling a bequest made by their grandmother, the cousins travel to Warsaw to see firsthand what she experienced as a Jewish girl during the Nazi occupation of Poland. Traveling with other Jews on a Holocaust tour, the two work on their own tense relationship while surrounded by historical remnants of the tragedy that so many of their people endured.
Is It Any Good?
Funny and poignant, Eisenberg's rumination on the guilt felt by many descendants of Holocaust survivors is a personal story with potentially broad impact. In telling its story of two Jewish cousins visiting Poland, A Real Pain helps validates the complicated feelings that many of today's Jewish people may have experienced. Viewers join the tour group as they visit the Lublin concentration camp (the first time it's ever been filmed), an event that's presented matter of factly, allowing audiences to have their own reaction. Then, on the ride back to the hotel, we see the wildly different impact the visit has had on David and Benji.
The two cousins are opposites in many ways: Benji is the wild child who never grew up, while nervous David was likely a mature adult even before his bar mitzvah. While Benji and David are versions of characters we've seen Culkin and Eisenberg play before, it's hard to imagine anyone else inhabiting the two characters better. Benji is expressively layered, blowsy and cool, but also sensitive and vulnerable. He's "too much" for most. He's having a hard time on the tour, and, as the film progresses, we realize that he's really struggling. A Real Pain directs viewers' attention to the complexity of the human condition and serves as a reminder that everyone is going through something, so always be kind.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about their own family history. Use A Real Pain as a jumping-off point to discuss any difficult times your ancestors survived. What do you think they would want for you?
Does the movie glamorize drug use? Are there realistic consequences? Why does that matter?
How does this movie compare to others that focus on Jewish characters and their experiences? What does generational trauma mean, and how is that idea relevant here?
Describe the relationship between David and Benji. How is it similar to, or different from, your own family relationships?
How do the characters demonstrate curiosity and compassion? Why are those important character strengths?
Movie Details
- In theaters : November 2, 2024
- On DVD or streaming : December 31, 2024
- Cast : Jesse Eisenberg , Kieran Culkin , Jennifer Grey , Will Sharpe
- Director : Jesse Eisenberg
- Inclusion Information : Female Movie Actor(s) , Asian Movie Actor(s)
- Studio : Fox Searchlight
- Genre : Comedy
- Topics : History
- Character Strengths : Compassion , Curiosity
- Run time : 90 minutes
- MPAA rating :
- MPAA explanation : language throughout and some drug use
- Awards : Academy Award - Other Category Winner , Academy Award - Other Category Nominee , BAFTA - BAFTA Winner , Golden Globe - Golden Globe Award Winner
- Last updated : September 18, 2025
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