Breaking Down The Movie ‘A Real Pain’
Plot Synopsis written by Michael Lee
*All Media used in this article is courtesy of Searchlight Pictures
Photo Courtesy of Searchlight Pictures
Searchlight Pictures’ ‘A Real Pain’ was released on November 1, 2024, with a domestic opening weekend of $228,856. The film, directed by Jesse Eisenberg, stars Eisenberg himself alongside Kieran Culkin in the roles of cousins David and Benji. The story follows their journey through Poland, where they hope to honor their grandmother’s memory but end up confronting their own unresolved tensions amidst the shadows of their family’s history. This article will take you behind the scenes of film’s creation, featuring exclusive interviews with the cast and crew, a detailed plot synopsis, and a breakdown of the film's media coverage.
Official Trailer: ‘A Real Pain’ (2024)
Cast & Crew Interviews: ‘A Real Pain’
Plot Synopsis
Jesse Eisenberg and Kieran Culkin in ‘A Real Pain’ - Photo Courtesy of Searchlight Pictures
We first meet David and Benji, two cousins very close in age, who have booked a trip to Poland. Their intent is to learn how the Holocaust impacted their grandmother's hometown to locate the home that she grew up in. Their grandmother, Dory, a survivor of the Holocaust, has recently passed away, leaving Benji (who was quite close to her) particularly devastated. The two embark on a tour of the region led by a man named James, along with four other travelers: Marcia, Eloge, Diane, and Mark. The tour traces the odyssey of Jewish people over the last century, all with the horrors of World War II at its very center.
‘A Real Pain’ Featurette: “Jesse Eisenberg - Director” - Video Courtesy of Searchlight Pictures
David and Benji come from radically different places. David works a colorless job in digital advertising in the heart of New York City. He has a wife and toddler at home and seems content with the monotonous and anxious life he lives. It is David’s idea for the voyage, as it was one of their grandmother's dying wishes, and he’s organized and paid for the tour and invited Benji to come along.
‘A Real Pain’ Featurette: “Odd Couple” - Video Courtesy of Searchlight Pictures
The two used to be close as children, but they have drifted apart over the years. Benji is David’s polar opposite; he’s a wreckless misfit and typical jobless bro living in Binghamton, who smokes weed and generally just avoids life by cracking inappropriate jokes. The two meet at the airport and on the way there, David is hastily calling Benji, worrying that he won’t show up in time for their flight, but upon arriving, has learned that Benji has already been there for three hours.
‘A Real Pain’ Featurette: “Passion” - Video Courtesy of Searchlight Pictures
When the two arrive in Poland, Benji doesn’t seem to care much about the historical circumstances. After leaving the hotel, the tour group departs and visits a World War II memorial erected in honor of the Polish soldiers. It’s a huge, looming statue made out of metal and Benji decides to pose for a selfie next to the soldiers, which David finds distasteful, but soon, all of the other travelers, (Marcia, Eloge, Diane, and Mark) join alongside him. The rest of the tour group are Jewish, too.
Jesse Eisenberg and Kieran Culkin in ‘A Real Pain’ - Photo Courtesy of Searchlight Pictures
There’s Marcia, a recently divorced Jewishh woman trying to find herself, while Diane and Mark are the typical high-society couple with Polish-Jewish ancestry. Then there’s Eloge, survivor of the Rwandan genocide who since converted to Judaism. There’s also the tour guide, James, a British man with a wealth of knowledge. He says the trip is going to be about pain, yes, but it’s also going to be a celebration of the resilience of people.
Will Sharpe and Jesse Eisenberg in ‘A Real Pain’ - Photo Courtesy of Searchlight Pictures
The group eventually boards a train to the Polish countryside. The tour group has been given first class tickets, which Benji rightfully finds offensive, given what trains meant to Jews during the Holocaust. Later, at a Polish cemetery, Benji engages with James, as he is decidedly upset that he just keeps hurling nondescript facts at them like it means nothing. Benji and David clash a lot, and we learn exactly why the two had a falling out, as they’re completely opposites to one another. Benji is hurting, too, which is causing him to act out, being a ‘real pain’ if you will, as he has not yet processed his grandmother’s death properly. The two were exceptionally close, with Benji going so far as to call her ‘his other half’.
(From L-R): Kieran Culkin, Jennifer Gray, Jesse Eisenberg, Kurt Egyiawan, David Oreskes and Will Sharpe in ‘A Real Pain’ - Photo Courtesy of Searchlight Pictures
Benji is hurting and David is too, but David’s quiet anxiousness is getting him, he is too caught up in the moment and not too concerned with the past or the future. It is clear that the line between love and hate the two have for each other is quite thin, but this trip is their grandmother’s way of reconnecting them when they need it most, when they have something to learn from one another.
Jesse Eisenberg and Kieran Culkin in ‘A Real Pain’ - Photo Courtesy of Searchlight Pictures
The tour culminates in Lublin, Poland, at the Majdanek concentration camp where their grandmother escaped from. It is one of the largest concentration camps ever built by the Nazis in World War II. As the group makes its way through all of Majdaneks many horrors, it becomes clear that David and Benji really need one another, an effort to balance one another out. David needs Benji to remind him of the spontaneity of life, and Benji needs David to remind him that life is about balancing pain with joy. The two reminisce of their childhood and their beloved grandmother but also about tenacity, about trauma, and about the resilience of their family and of humanity, too.
Cast Breakdown
Jesse Eisenberg - “David Kaplan”
Photo by Steve Granitz/Getty Images
Photo by Taylor Hill/Getty Images
Will Sharpe - “James”
Photo via IMDB
Jennifer Grey - “Marcia”
Photo by Jason Merritt/Getty Images
Kurt Egyiawan - “Eloge”
Photo via IMDB
Liza Sadovy - “Diane”
Photo by Harry Livingstone
Daniel Oreskes - “Mark”
Photo via IMDB
‘A Real Pain’ In The Media
Jesse Eisenberg and Kieran Culkin in ‘A Real Pain’ - Photo Courtesy of Searchlight Pictures
Rolling Stone: ‘I Was Trying to Close the Loop’: Jesse Eisenberg on ‘A Real Pain’
The New Yorker: “A Real Pain” Fails to Stay in Its Discomfort Zone
ABC 6 Philadelphia: Jesse Eisenberg discusses new film 'A Real Pain' and its personal meaning to him
AZ Central: Heartbreaking and funny, 'A Real Pain' is one of the best movies of the year
Paste Magazine: A Real Pain Resists Dramedy Cliches, Landing on Something Sadder and Stranger
The Atlantic: Finally, a Holocaust Movie With No Lessons
New York Times: ‘A Real Pain’ Review: Mourning as an Act of Survival
TIME: Jesse Eisenberg and Kieran Culkin Make a Radiantly Generous Duo in A Real Pain
NPR: In 'A Real Pain,' Jewish cousins tour Poland, cracking jokes and confronting the past
Conclusion
If you’ve had a chance to see ‘A Real Pain’, we’d love to hear your thoughts in the comments below. For more information about the movie, visit its official website at www.searchlightpictures.com/a-real-pain. For more movies, be sure to check out our movie blog where we post about the latest movie releases!
