Badge and Rush Line Only
JESSE EISENBERG | USA, POLAND | 2024 | 89 MIN | ENGLISH
Though they were close as children, cousins David (Jesse Eisenberg) and Benji (Kieran Culkin) no longer have much in common besides their family history and reverence for their beloved, recently deceased Polish grandmother, a Holocaust survivor. Tightly wound, pragmatic David is now a settled family man, while freewheeling, mischievous Benji remains somewhat directionless. On a pilgrimage to their grandmother’s homeland, the cousins join a sightseeing tour of historic sites, many of which are haunted by the legacy of the Holocaust. Equally lovable and abrasive, Benji is quick to call out the hypocrisies of his fellow sightseers as David struggles to counterbalance his cousin’s chaotic energy. Over the course of the journey, the cousins’ identities are increasingly destabilized in the face of the painful history of their Jewish identity. Veteran actor Eisenberg has written and directed a film that’s at once briskly entertaining and subtly profound, allowing characters to grapple with some of life’s biggest questions through dialogue that’s by turns witty, philosophical, and piercingly sad. And playing a character whose larger-than-life demeanor masks a well of vulnerability, Culkin delivers an award-worthy, scene-stealing performance. One of the biggest breakouts of this year’s Sundance Film Festival, A Real Pain is a powerful, funny, and deeply humane work.
Cast: Jesse Eisenberg, Kieran Culkin, Will Sharpe, Jennifer Grey
Co-presented by Philadelphia Jewish Film and Media
