A Real Pain: Sharply Funny and Acutely Impactful

A serious film at its base with a fluffy layer of humor, A Real Pain successfully entertains, frustrates, and ponders the subjectivity of emotional pain in a real and relatable way.

Rating: 7.6/10

Highlights

• Kieran Culkin brings Benji to life

• Funny in a subtle and unique way

• Validates the experience of emotional pain

Lowlights

• Benji was kind of annoying

• Story and characters could have been fleshed out more

• David's patience felt unrealistic

Quick-witted in its humor and deep in its emotional resonance, A Real Pain is an empathetic tale of family and love. The film communicates an air of humor through many ways, such as its choice to only employ classical music during many frivolous moments and Culkin's steady grasp on the goofy and lighthearted (for the most part) personality of Benji. Its comedic take is fresh and sharp, granting the film success in itself, but the added exploration of pain adds a powerful level of depth. The film dares to ask what qualifies pain as more legitimate or "realer" than other pains, contrasting the pain of David and Benji's grandmother during World War II against Benji's less palpable pain of existence in itself. Culkin's performance is layered and impactful; his character's proclivity towards hanging out in airports a surprisingly poignant demonstration of pain and loneliness. A Real Pain is a thoughtful and provoking presentation of pain, loss, and family, eventually making a strong argument for unbridled compassion when interacting with others whom you may not immediately get along with. At the end of the day, pain is relative, subjective — everyone's fighting their own battle, and everyone's pain is real.

Enjoyed A Real Pain? Check out When You Finish Saving the World, another comedy-family drama by Jesse Eisenberg. 

Watch the trailer!