Trains Through Poland: A Real Pain Movie Review

Pierogi, missed trains, grief, impulsive decisions, and a Holocaust tour group. What could go wrong? Well, as it turns out in A Real Pain: a lot can. A Real Pain is a comedy-drama written and directed by Jesse Eisenberg, the actor-turned-director who recently had his directorial debut with a favorite film of mine, When You Finish Saving the World, which starred Finn Wolfhard and Julianne Moore. I began A Real Pain with high expectations and was not disappointed. It’s very different from Eisenberg’s previous film and is unlike any comedy or drama film I’ve ever seen– funny without trying to be and serious when it needs to be. It was a fun and cinematic watch without a ridiculous nor unrealistic storyline, something you don’t see much of nowadays.

A Real Pain via Searchlight.

A Real Pain follows the first time in Poland for two cousins whose Polish grandmother has just died. Together, they search for parts of their Polish heritage, attempting to find solace in the unfamiliar country where their late grandmother grew up. As Polish Americans who, like many, were not raised as Poles, they do not speak the language nor know the first thing about how to travel through Poland. This film reminded me of my own escapades through Poland for the first time with my sister over the summer. Like David and Benji, the protagonists, we traveled by train, carried all of our belongings in backpacks, and came with the final goal of visiting the house where our family lived. However, we actually speak the language and understand how much złoty are worth– so our experience was a bit different than theirs. Moreover, I thought that A Real Pain did a great job of illustrating a part of the immigrant experience that isn't usually portrayed in the media– the alienation one can feel with their “home” country. In the film, David talks about how, if their grandmother had never moved to America, that he and Benji would grow up and live in Poland, that it would be their home. This sentiment reflects something that I’ve thought about a lot myself: the parallel life that I could have lived had my own family stayed in Poland. I think that anybody whose family is not from the States (which, I guess, is everyone) could relate to this feeling. 

I think the two main characters really made this movie– so much so that it felt more like an investigation into their relationship than a concrete story. The cousins are polar opposites: David, played by Jesse Eisenberg himself, is an awkward and put-together adult, while Benji, played by Kieran Culkin, is an eccentric and capricious drifter. This contrast is the very source of all the problems that arise during the trip– from explosive dinners to getting hopelessly separated from the tour group. Throughout the movie, we learn of Benji’s problems and witness the torment that he faces over his grandmother’s death. Unlike David’s, Benji’s grief is external– he makes it everyone’s problem. This dynamic is interesting because, while Benji is the problematic cousin, he is certainly the more well-liked cousin by everyone in the tour group. We all have a Benji in our lives– someone so charismatic and fun yet so lost in life. David, on the other hand, was just another case of Jesse Eisenberg playing Jesse Eisenberg in a movie. I’m not complaining though– I like the character he portrays, even if it is his genuine self. Furthermore , I did not really care for the other characters; they were quite shallow and very much side characters in the cousins’ grand Polish odyssey. And, though both actors were great, Kieran Culkin was definitely the star of the show for me.

Benji (Kieran Culkin) and David (Jesse Eisenberg), A Real Pain, 2024.

Overall, I thought that this movie was great, and I even laughed out loud a couple of times because of how silly it got. Since it follows the travels of two very typical, tourist-y Americans, I believe that it is very accessible to the non-Poles among us. I do acknowledge, however, that my Polishness may have played a part in how much I enjoyed it. It was certainly nice to be the only one in the theater to understand what signs and random Polish dialogue in the film meant. Ultimately, I found that the message of A Real Pain is not only one about reconnecting with your heritage but one about helping and understanding a family member who is struggling.

A Real Pain was released by Searchlight Pictures and has been available in theatres since November 12024. It is rated R and runs for 90 minutes.