CONTENT WARNING: the Holocaust, WWII, and self-harm

Today we’re discussing the Sundance-premiered indie drama, “A Real Pain” (Searchlight Pictures, 2024). Written, directed, and starring Jesse Eisenberg alongside a sparkler-bright performance by Kieran Culkin, “A Real Pain” follows odd-couple cousins on a Holocaust tour of Poland to honor their survivor grandmother who recently passed. This small tour group comprised of recent retirees (Liza Sadovy, Daniel Oreskes), a divorcee (Jennifer Grey), a Rwandan genocide survivor (Kurt Egyiawan), and an Oxford scholar (Will Sharpe) play as an audience for the familial clashes and uncomfortable vulnerability of these two men who were once inseparable but seem now irreparably separate. Profound, funny, heart-breaking, and cathartic, “A Real Pain” is a road movie for the ages. Let’s get into it!

We're now a part of the Umbrella Podcast Collective! Learn more about our podcast partners ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠here⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.

Ep 199: Reviewing “A Real Pain,” Poland in WWII and Family Dysfunction (Dir. Jesse Eisenberg, 2024)

Midday Movies

Ep 199: Reviewing “A Real Pain,” Poland in WWII and Family Dysfunction (Dir. Jesse Eisenberg, 2024)