You know that feeling when an actor you’ve watched for decades finally hits a gear you didn't know they had? That’s what’s happening right now with A Real Pain. Honestly, after Succession wrapped, most of us figured Kieran Culkin might just disappear into a pile of Emmy trophies and take a five-year nap. Instead, he teamed up with Jesse Eisenberg for a movie that is somehow both a hilarious road trip comedy and a devastating look at Holocaust trauma.
It's a weird mix. It shouldn’t work. But it does.
The film follows two cousins, David (Eisenberg) and Benji (Culkin), as they trek through Poland to see where their grandmother grew up. If you’ve seen the trailer, you probably think you know the vibe. You think it's just Roman Roy in a different hoodie. You're wrong. Benji Kaplan is something else entirely. He’s magnetic, frustrating, and deeply, deeply sad.
What A Real Pain Is Actually About
At its core, the Kieran Culkin new film is a story about how we handle inherited grief. David is the "responsible" one—the guy who sells digital ads and worries about whether the train tickets are printed. Benji is the live wire. He’s the guy who convinces a whole group of tourists to ditch the scheduled itinerary to take photos at a monument.
Jesse Eisenberg, who also wrote and directed the thing, manages to capture that specific, prickly family dynamic where you love someone to death but also kind of want to push them off a moving train. They are in Poland to honor their grandmother, Dory, who survived the Holocaust. But the movie isn't a history lesson. It’s a character study.
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- The Contrast: David is all nervous energy and repressed feelings.
- The Chaos: Benji is unfiltered emotion, swinging from joy to rage in seconds.
- The Setting: Poland is filmed like a "postcard," as Eisenberg put it, which makes the visit to the Majdanek concentration camp even more jarring.
It's the kind of movie where you're laughing at a stupid joke about smuggling weed on a European train one minute, and the next, you’re watching Culkin stare at a wall of shoes in a death camp with an expression that will haunt you for weeks.
Why Everyone Is Talking About Kieran Culkin’s Performance
Look, we all loved Roman Roy. The snark, the weird sitting positions, the "pre-game" insults. But in A Real Pain, Culkin is doing something much more vulnerable. There’s a scene at a dinner table where Benji basically calls out the entire tour group for being "tourists of suffering." It’s uncomfortable. It’s raw.
Interestingly, Culkin almost didn't do the movie. He actually tried to back out just two weeks before filming started because he wanted to stay home with his kids. He was exhausted from Succession. It took Emma Stone—who produced the film—calling him up and basically telling him he couldn't quit to get him on that plane to Poland.
We should all thank Emma Stone.
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Culkin’s performance was so good that he actually won the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor in March 2025. He beat out some heavy hitters too, including Edward Norton and Jeremy Strong. Yeah, he beat Kendall Roy. The irony isn't lost on anyone. Even his brother Macaulay was seen crying at the Oscars when Kieran’s name was called.
The Jesse Eisenberg Connection
It’s worth noting that Eisenberg didn't even watch Succession before casting Kieran. He cast him based on "essence." He met Kieran a few times and just felt like he had the right energy for Benji.
Eisenberg’s directing style is surprisingly patient here. He lets the camera linger on the actors' faces. He doesn't over-edit the emotional beats. There’s a specific scene where Benji plays the piano that feels so intimate you almost feel like you're intruding on a private moment. That’s hard to pull off.
What's Next for Kieran Culkin in 2026?
If you've already seen A Real Pain and you're wondering what's next, the schedule is actually looking pretty packed. Culkin isn't slowing down.
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- Glengarry Glen Ross on Broadway: He’s currently starring as Richard Roma alongside Bob Odenkirk. If you're in New York, get tickets. It’s a masterclass in fast-talking cynicism.
- The Hunger Games: Sunrise on the Reaping: This is the big one. He’s joined the cast of the latest prequel, which is set to be a massive blockbuster.
- Untitled Nancy Meyers Film: This was just confirmed for a May 2026 shoot. Nancy Meyers (the queen of beautiful kitchens and cozy sweaters) is making a big-budget theatrical rom-com, and Culkin is part of the ensemble. Rumor has it this might be her long-awaited "Paris Paramount" project.
How to Watch A Real Pain Right Now
If you missed the theatrical run, don't worry. The movie is widely available now.
Since it was distributed by Searchlight Pictures, it’s been a staple on streaming platforms. You can find it on Hulu and Disney+ depending on your region. It’s also available for digital purchase on Apple TV and Amazon Prime Video.
Honestly, it’s the kind of movie that rewards a second watch. The first time, you’re mostly watching Benji’s antics. The second time, you start to notice David’s quiet heartbreak. It's a heavy film, but it's not a "depressing" one. It’s just... real.
Actionable Insights for Fans
- Watch the "Beautiful Fate" Featurette: If you buy the digital or Blu-ray version, there's a documentary about the filming in Poland. It adds a lot of context to why they chose specific locations.
- Listen to the Soundtrack: The classical piano pieces used in the film aren't just background noise; they're actually mapped to Benji's emotional state.
- Follow the Awards Path: If you're a film nerd, go back and watch Culkin's acceptance speech from the 2025 Oscars. It’s classic Kieran—awkward, sincere, and slightly chaotic.
The Kieran Culkin new film is more than just a post-Succession victory lap. It’s a career-defining turn that proves he’s one of the best actors of his generation. Go watch it. Just make sure you have some tissues handy for the final ten minutes.