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Jesse Eisenberg may have struck gold in his next directorial effort. And by gold, we mean Kieran Culkin at 100% menace. This is the 1st teaser for A Real Pain.
The brief teaser opens on two American cousins: David (Jessie Eisenberg) and Benji (Kieran Culkin) sneaking through a passenger train in Poland, avoiding a conductor since they don’t have tickets. Benji is calm and confident, while the neurotic David is incredulous that they could have just bought the tickets easily. Benji is unfazed: that’s not the point, they’re Polish-American, it’s their heritage and right to ride for free.
The trailer consists of the two men wandering around Poland to honor their recently deceased grandmother, exploring the scenery and getting into shenanigans. There’s bad table manners, plenty of smoking, and photo ops galore set to frenetic piano music. The trailer ends on an affectionate slap between the cousins. Typical family behavior.
A Real Pain (2024) – source: Searchlight Pictures
The 1st teaser for A Real Pain divulges precious few details about the film’s plot, choosing instead to highlight the bond between the titular characters. Actor-turned-director Eisenberg has carved out a niche in this slow-moving transcendental style, giving his stars a canvas and allowing the plot to flow naturally from their performance.
And my god, does co-star Culkin rise to the occasion. While both actors are playing familiar roles (Eisenberg as an awkward nerd, Culkin a smooth-talking greaseball), they may have found their perfect dance partners in each other. Culkin’s rapid-fire snarky delivery anchors the trailer, and little snippets of his performance in the trailer’s final montage hint at a level of pathos-infused craziness that only he can pull off.
It doesn’t feel like an accident that the film’s marketing has largely revolved around Culkin’s performance. And with Oscar season around the corner, A Real Pain looks to showcase 2024’s 1st major contender for Best Actor.
A Real Pain will release theatrically in the US on October 18, 2024. The movie is directed by Jesse Eisenberg, who also stars alongside Kieran Culkin.
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