FromThe FarewelltoThe Darjeeling Limited,there are plenty of great movies likeA Real Painto watch after enjoyingJesse Eisenberg’s acclaimed dramedy.A Real Painis a deeply affecting blend of Holocaust drama and buddy comedy. The perfectly matched Eisenberg and Kieran Culkin leadthe cast ofA Real Painas a hilarious odd couple who embark on a tour in Poland to honor their late grandmother. Eisenberg’s David is anxious, neurotic, and self-conscious, while Culkin’s Benji is laidback, outgoing, and says whatever is on his mind.
David and Benji are a joy to watch together.Eisenberg and Culkin share electric on-screen chemistry, and it’s both hysterical and heartwarming to watch these estranged cousins reconnect over the course of the film. After watchingA Real Pain, now streaming on Hulu, there are a lot of similar movies to enjoy. There are other road movies about mismatched pairs, likeSidewaysandPlanes, Trains, and Automobiles, and other character-driven two-handers that deal with the lingering trauma of the Holocaust, likeHarold and Maude.
When You Finish Saving the World
Cast
When You Finish Saving the World is a drama film directed by Jesse Eisenberg and stars Julianne Moore and Finn Wolfhard. Set in modern-day America, the film explores the strained relationship between a mother who runs a shelter for victims of domestic abuse and her teenage son, who is struggling to find his place in the world through his music and online presence. The story delves into themes of family, identity, and societal roles.
A Real Painis Eisenberg’s second movie as a writer-director, and he brought the same seamless blend of comedy and drama to his 2022 debut feature,When You Finish Saving the World. Similar toA Real Pain,When You Finish Saving the Worlddeals with strained family dynamics. Julianne Moore and Finn Wolfhard star as a mother and son who struggle to connect as the mother works with domestic abuse survivors and the son launches his folk music career.
When You Finish Saving the Worldwas a promising debut that introduced the now-Oscar-nominated filmmaking voice behindA Real Pain.
Eisenberg’s first movie established his penchant for character-driven storytelling. His movies don’t have overly complicated plots with shocking twists and external conflicts, but the characters and their relationships are deeply complex, with plenty of internal conflict.When You Finish Saving the Worldwas a promising debut that introduced the now-Oscar-nominated filmmaking voice behindA Real Pain.
The Darjeeling Limited
The Darjeeling Limited (2007), directed by Wes Anderson, follows three estranged brothers who embark on a journey across India by train to reconnect with one another. Starring Owen Wilson, Adrien Brody, and Jason Schwartzman, the film blends drama and comedy as the siblings navigate personal grief and family tensions in the backdrop of India’s vibrant landscape.
Wes Anderson’sThe Darjeeling Limitedhas a remarkably similar story toA Real Pain. WhereA Real Painrevolves around two cousins on a soul-searching journey across Poland,The Darjeeling Limitedrevolves around three brothers on a soul-searching journeyacross India. WhereA Real Paindigs into the unresolved grief over a grandmother’s death,The Darjeeling Limiteddigs into the unresolved grief over a father’s death. The tone is very similar, too; they’re lighthearted comedies that can switch to harrowing tragedy at the drop of a dime.
A Real Pain Cast & Character Guide: Who Stars Alongside Kieran Culkin & Jesse Eisenberg
Jesse Eisenberg and Kieran Culkin lead a great ensemble cast of tourists traveling through Poland in the acclaimed comedy-drama A Real Pain.
Although it received mixed reviews upon its release,The Darjeeling Limitedhas since been reappraisedas arguably Anderson’s most underrated film. The bonds between the estranged brothers are just as authentic and believable as the bond between the estranged cousins inA Real Pain. Anderson captures the beauty of India just as effectively as Eisenberg does with Poland.
His Three Daughters
His Three Daughters is a 2023 drama film directed by Azazel Jacobs. The story centers on three sisters, portrayed by Carrie Coon, Elizabeth Olsen, and Natasha Lyonne, who reunite in their childhood home to care for their terminally ill father. As they navigate the emotional complexities of their father’s final days, the sisters confront unresolved issues and deep-seated family tensions. The film explores themes of sisterhood, forgiveness, and the intricate dynamics of familial relationships.
A Real Painwasn’t the only sobering family drama to receive critical acclaim in 2024; Azazel Jacobs’His Three Daughterswas similarly met with universal praise and awards buzz. Carrie Coon, Natasha Lyonne, and Elizabeth Olsen staras three estranged sisters who reunite under the same roof when their father falls ill. As they’re forced to share an apartment and reckon with their dad’s mortality, their tensions quickly bubble to the surface.
Coon, Lyonne, and Olsen’s on-screen dynamic as sisters is just as authentic and believable as Eisenberg and Culkin’s relationship as cousins inA Real Pain. The lifelong bonds shine through, with all the familiar foibles and relatable resentments. Much likeA Real Pain,His Three Daughtersis so dialogue-driven and visually unflashy in its filmmaking that it works almost like a stage play.
The Farewell
The Farewell was written and directed by Lulu Wang and stars Awkwafina and Tzi Ma. The 2019 release sees a family that discovers their loved one is dying and plans to hold a family gathering without telling her she is passing.
Although she never actually appears on-screen,one of the most important characters inA Real Painis Grandma Dory. Before the events of the film, she passed away and left David and Benji enough money to visit her hometown in Poland. The trip is what brings them back together and facilitates the story.Another touching movie about losing a beloved grandmotheris Lulu Wang’sThe Farewell.
Awkwafina stars as a young woman whose grandmother is diagnosed with a terminal illness and only has a short time left to live. Instead of telling her about the disease, the family schedules a wedding to allow everyone to see their grandma one last time before she dies. Awkwafina and Zhao Shu-zhen share a beautiful on-screen dynamic as granddaughter and grandmother, and the film’s exploration of loss is just as profound asA Real Pain.
The Squid and the Whale
The Squid and the Whale, directed by Noah Baumbach, explores the impact of divorce on two young brothers in 1980s Brooklyn. The film draws from Baumbach’s own childhood experiences, capturing the challenges and emotional complexities faced by the boys amid their parents' separation.
Eisenberg first broke out as an actor with his leading role as Walt Berkman in Noah Baumbach’s semi-autobiographical coming-of-age dramedyThe Squid and the Whale.The Squid and the Whalechronicles an upper-class New York divorce from the perspective of the couple’s two sons, aged 16 and 12.Eisenberg plays the teenage angst perfectly; he keeps Walt relatably awkward through all his troubled interactions, and he doesn’t shy away from the unlikable qualities that make the character feel like a real human being.
Baumbach has clearly had an influence on Eisenberg as a director. The actor’s own filmmaking shares Baumbach’s signature combination of acerbic wit, sobering melancholy, and brutal honesty. In capturing both ends of the emotional spectrum, Baumbach and Eisenberg reflect the messiness of real life, and find the surprising profundity in everyday mundanity.
Sideways
Sideways is a 2004 film directed by Alexander Payne, chronicling the road trip of two friends—struggling writer Miles Raymond (Paul Giamatti) and actor Jack Cole (Thomas Haden Church)—through California’s wine country. As they explore vineyards and reflect on their lives, both men confront personal and professional challenges. The film blends humor and drama, providing an in-depth look at friendship and life’s mid-course corrections.
At its core,A Real Painisa story abouttwo guys embarking on a trip and facing all the issues holding them back in life. Alexander Payne told a similar story inSideways. Thomas Haden Church plays groom-to-be Jack and Paul Giamatti plays his best man, Miles. For an unconventional bachelor party, they spend a few days driving through California’s wine country. Miles is still hung up on his ex-wife and Jack is determined to cheat on his fiancée as much as possible.
The genius of the movie’s comedy is that, while it sounds like a classy version ofThe Hangoveron paper, it’s actually even more depraved thanThe Hangoverin execution. It has car crashes, downed spit buckets, and beatings by angry husbands. But it’s also every bit the emotional male-bonding drama thatA Real Painis.
Harold and Maude
Harold and Maude are a strange couple. He is young and obsessed with death. She is old and in love with life. Harold makes Maude laugh with tales of his failed suicides and she teaches the young man some life lessons. Little by little, they change each other’s lives.
Eisenberg’s screenplay forA Real Painis a two-hander contrasting one character’s cynicism with another character’s optimism as they confront the horrors of the Holocaust. Hal Ashby explored similar themes and dynamics in hismorbid romantic comedyHarold and Maude. Bud Cort plays Harold, a nihilistic young man whose obsession with death prevents him from enjoying life, while Ruth Gordon plays Maude, a 79-year-old woman whose obsession with death inspires her to live life to the fullest.
A Real Pain Review: Jesse Eisenberg’s Second Directorial Feature Is A Heartfelt Dramedy
Though it could’ve had more depth, A Real Pain showcases Jesse Eisenberg’s promise as a filmmaker in a touching dramedy with great performances.
The six-decade age gap madeHarold and Maude’s love story pretty controversial, but Cort and Gordon share spectacular chemistry, and the movie has deeper points to make. As a Holocaust survivor, Maude lived through the absolute worst that life has to offer and came out the other side with a zest for life.Her love inspires Harold to feel the same way.
The End of the Tour
The End of the Tour chronicles a five-day interview between Rolling Stone reporter David Lipsky and acclaimed novelist David Foster Wallace following the 1996 publication of Wallace’s novel Infinite Jest. The film explores their interactions and insights into Wallace’s life during this pivotal moment in his career.
A Real Painisn’t the first two-hander to star Eisenberg as the foil opposite an eccentric scene partner. InThe End of the Tour,Eisenberg playsRolling Stonewriter David Lipsky, who joins David Foster Wallace (played by Jason Segel) on the last leg of the book tour forInfinite Jestin order to write an intimate profile on him. With its focus on conversation and human connection,The End of the Tourplays like a two-man play.
Much likeA Real Pain,The End of the Tourisa bromantic road movie. The characters connect on a deep emotional level and gradually grow closer, but there’s also a lot of friction and tension between them — especially when Lipsky asks Wallace a question that’s a little too probing.The End of the Touris a touching exploration of loneliness and male bonding.
Planes, Trains & Automobiles
Directed by John Hughes, Planes, Trains and Automobiles stars Steve Martin as Neal Page, a busy advertising executive who finds himself the unwilling traveling companion of salesman Del Griffith as the two attempt to return to Chicago for the Thanksgiving holiday. Beset by bad weather and a continuing comedy of errors in attempting to make travel plans, Neal and Del must work together, however unwillingly, to accomplish their shared goal. John Candy also stars alongside Martin as Del.
A Real Pain’s blend of road movie and buddy comedy is reminiscent of John Hughes’Planes, Trains, and Automobiles. Dave and Benji’s odd-couple relationship is almost identical to the dynamic between Steve Martin’s Neal Page and John Candy’s Del Griffith in this beloved holiday classic. When his flight is canceled, Neal reluctantly teams up with Del — a friendly stranger — fora disastrous road trip across America in order to get hometo his family in time for Thanksgiving.
In both stories, over the course of their journey, the two characters grow closer together and bring out different sides of each other.
Neal, like Dave, is uptight, neurotic, unsociable, and easily irritated. Del, like Benji, is easygoing, outspoken, and quickly makes friends with everyone he meets. In both stories, over the course of their journey, the two characters grow closer together and bring out different sides of each other. LikeA Real Pain,Planes, Trains, and Automobilesis a fun comedic caperthat switches to heartbreaking drama at the drop of a hat.
Little Miss Sunshine
Little Olive’s dream is to take part in the Little Miss Sunshine contest. To do so, she embarks on a funny and moving journey with her father, uncle, grandfather, brother and mother. The family has to race against time to ensure that Olive arrives on time and is able to give the performance created by her grandfather.
The most endearing thing aboutA Real Painis its bittersweet tone. It has a huge heart, capturing the lifelong love and friendship between its lead characters, but it also takes plenty of sad turns to remind the audience it’s not all roses. Jonathan Dayton and Valerie Faris’Little Miss Sunshineshares that tone.A dysfunctional family embarks on a cross-country road tripto get seven-year-old Olive to a child beauty pageant.
A Real Painhas a 96% rating onRotten Tomatoes.
LikeA Real Pain,Little Miss Sunshinehas a star-studded ensemble full of rich, three-dimensional characters: Greg Kinnear as the frustrated father, Toni Collette as the long-suffering mother,Steve Carell as the depressed uncle, Paul Dano as the angsty older brother, Alan Arkin as the hilariously grumpy grandpa, and Abigail Breslin as Olive herself. By the end of their journey, everyone in the family is vicariously living through Olive. Their own dreams have all been squandered, but they can still make hers come true.
A Real Pain
A Real Pain explores themes of identity and loss as two estranged families confront their shared and tumultuous pasts. Through intertwining narratives, the film delves into the complexities of familial relationships and the enduring impact of unresolved grief.
