''A Real Pain'' is a 2024

comedy drama Comedy drama, also known by the portmanteau ''dramedy'', is a genre of dramatic works that combines elements of comedy and Drama (film and television), drama. The modern, scripted-television examples tend to have more humorous bits than simple co ...

film, written, directed, and produced by Jesse Eisenberg. It stars Eisenberg, Kieran Culkin, Will Sharpe, Jennifer Grey, Kurt Egyiawan,

Liza Sadovy Liza Sadovy is a British actress. She is best known for '' Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street'' (2007), ''Prime Suspect 3'' (1993) and ''Company'' (1996). Other television work includes ''Extras'' with Ricky Gervais, '' Midsomer Murders ...

, and

Daniel Oreskes Daniel Oreskes is an American actor known for his roles in ''Law & Order'', and ''Law & Order: Organized Crime''. Oreskes has also appeared in numerous Broadway theatre, Broadway productions and narrates audiobooks. Oreskes graduated from the Un ...

Emma Stone Emily Jean Stone (born November 6, 1988), known professionally as Emma Stone, is an American actress. She is the recipient of various accolades, including an Academy Award, a British Academy Film Award, and a Golden Globe Award. In 2017, she ...

serves as a producer under her Fruit Tree banner. It premiered at the

Sundance Film Festival The Sundance Film Festival (formerly Utah/US Film Festival, then US Film and Video Festival) is an annual film festival organized by the Sundance Institute. It is the largest independent film festival in the United States, with more than 46,66 ...

on January 20, 2024, and is scheduled for limited theatrical release in the United States on November 1, 2024. ''A Real Pain'' will have its European Premiere at the 20th Zurich Film Festival on October 2024.

Premise

''A Real Pain'' follows mismatched cousins David ( Jesse Eisenberg) and Benji ( Kieran Culkin) who reunite for a tour through Poland to honor their beloved grandmother. The adventure takes a turn when the odd couple's old tensions resurface against the backdrop of their family history.

Cast

* Jesse Eisenberg as David Kaplan * Kieran Culkin as Benji Kaplan * Will Sharpe as James * Jennifer Grey as Marcia * Kurt Egyiawan as Eloge *

as Diane *

as Mark *

Ellora Torchia Rashmika Ellora Torchia (born April 1992) is a British actress. For her role in the film ''In the Earth'' (2021), she was nominated for a British Independent Film Award. Her other films include ''Les Cowboys'' (2015), '' Midsommar'' (2019), and ...

as Priya

Production

In August 2022, it was announced Jesse Eisenberg and Kieran Culkin would star in the film, with Eisenberg directing from a screenplay he wrote, with

and

Dave McCary David Lawrence McCary (born July 2, 1985) is an American comedian, writer, and director. From 2013 to 2019, he served as a segment director for ''Saturday Night Live'' and was also the main director for the first two seasons of the popular web ...

set to produce. It marks Eisenberg's second feature film as writer/director, after 2022's ''

When You Finish Saving the World ''When You Finish Saving the World'' is an Audible Original audio first production audio drama published on August 4, 2020 by American actor, author, and playwright Jesse Eisenberg. It won the Audie_Award#Overall_categories, 2021 Audie Award for ...

''. Principal photography began in May 2023.

Release

It premiered in the U.S. Dramatic Competition at the

on January 20, 2024. Shortly after, Searchlight Pictures acquired worldwide rights to the film for $10 million in an all-night auction. ''A Real Pain'' will have it's European Premiere at the 20th Zurich Film Festival in October 2024. The film made it to the 'Meeting Point' slate of the 69th Valladolid International Film Festival. Originally scheduled to be released in the United States on October 18, 2024, the film's release was subsequently pushed by two weeks to November 1.

Reception

Damon Wise of '' Deadline Hollywood'' praised Culkin for his performance, calling it "a career high".

Accolades

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Real Pain 2024 comedy-drama films 2024 independent films American comedy-drama films American independent films Polish independent films Polish comedy-drama films English-language Polish films Films set in Poland Films shot in Poland Films about the aftermath of the Holocaust Topic Studios films Searchlight Pictures films Sundance Film Festival award-winning films