[Nerdspresso] Kieran Emerges as Power Culkin in “A Real Pain”

Hollywood has its share of famous siblings, but usually the eldest basks in the spotlight while the youngest dances in their shadow. There are certainly exceptions, but for every Dennis Quaid and Casey Affleck, there’s Liam Hemsworth and Jim Belushi. We’re experiencing a rare seismic shift in the celebrity sibling pecking order these days with the case of Kieran Culkin.

Back in 1990 when his bro Macaulay was riding high as America’s No. 1 kid star, who would have thought that his little brother would one day emerge as the Alpha Culkin? We first encountered Kieran in a bit part in big bro’s smash hit Home Alone. He played Cousin Fuller, he of the impish grin and tiny bladder.

Kieran showed up in a cameo in Home Alone 2 and then played the little brother in Steve Martin’s Father of the Bride movies. But just when you thought he would spend his career riding Macaulay’s coattails, puberty hit. The elder Culkin flamed out while his sibling starting snagging decent parts in flicks ranging from She’s All That to Cider House Rules, then Igby Goes Down and Scott Pilgrim vs. the World.

Then came Succession, that super buzzy dark comedy on HBO about a media tycoon and his greedy family. Kieran won an Emmy for his portrayal of the cynical Roman Roy. Now he’s snagged an Oscar nomination for his turn as a slacker dogging his more serious cousin during a European tour in A Real Pain.

Now on Hulu, this movie is written and directed by Jesse Eisenberg, better known as an actor for The Social Network, Zombieland, and Adventureland. He made his writing and directorial debut with the comedy-drama When You Finish Saving the World, which premiered at the Sundance Film Festival in 2022. Eisenberg comes across as a rather quirky and introspective dude, both in interviews and on screen, so it’s no surprise that he explores similar territory behind the camera.

Both films feature characters exploring their complicated relationships with heart, humor and a generous amount of overthinking. Unlike his debut feature, Eisenberg stars in this new film as one half of a pair of estranged adult cousins on a group tour of historical sites in Poland. Eisenberg is usually cast as the neurotic chatterbox, which can be either entertaining or annoying depending on the role.

In A Real Pain, Eisenberg takes a backseat to Kieran Culkin, who delivers a star-making performance as the insensitively sensitive Benji. Meanwhile Eisenberg tones down his schtick to play the straight man. It pays off with an honest and relatable portrayal of two men at a crossroads in their relationship and in life.

These actors have great chemistry and are believable as family who were close as children and are now trying to reconnect in adulthood. The movie unfolds as they travel together. David and Benji are honoring their beloved grandmother, a Holocaust survivor, who has recently passed away. As American grandchildren of Jewish immigrants, they are trying to reconcile their family’s tragic past with their affluent present.

While this all sounds like heavy stuff, Eisenberg invests his film with plenty of heart and humor. This flick will remind you of traveling with family and friends. The inevitable compromises that are made on the road to keep the peace, the quiet disappointments when expectations aren’t met, the manic panic when you get off at the wrong train stop, and the subtle pleasures of savoring a foreign cityscape at night.

A Real Pain follows David and Benji’s adventures as they tour Jewish heritage sites throughout Poland. I was impressed with how well writer/director Eisenberg was able to balance the comedy and the drama with the narrative. He took some heavy topics (family baggage, depression, growing up, the Holocaust) and gently interjected humor, which is probably why his screenplay was nominated for an Oscar this year.

Eisenberg and Culkin play off each other extremely well, generating subtle laughs as they portray privileged American tourists in old Europe. The contrast between the characters is amusing and rings true. David is the serious cousin trying to respectfully absorb the significance of each stop while Benji is the chill casual observer happy to be along for the ride.

You can feel David’s anxiety bubbling below the surface with each scene. Eisenberg keeps his neurosis in check, which really allows Culkin to take center stage. The rivalry between the two cousins is palpable. Both love and hate the other. They bump up against their fellow travelers in humorous and relatable ways.

The supporting characters are a checklist of travel stereotypes. There’s the young know-it-all-tour guide obsessed with sharing factoids with no personal connection to any site, the middle-aged divorcee on a journey of self-discovery, and the affluent retirees enjoying their latest adventure. In lesser hands, these parts would be forgettable characters, but Eisenberg and his dedicated cast make these roles essential to the story.

Both leads experience awkward exchanges with the others, but Benji endears himself while David continues to be left confusedly isolated. In multiple scenes, you observe David aching for validation while Benji is stealing the spotlight. There’s a great moment when David is photographing a monument and Benji hijacks the photo opp.

Instead of allowing his cousin to reverently document the memorial, Benji encourages the entire tour group to mug for the camera. David is subtly excluded as he captures everyone’s silly poses. This scene reminded me of my own travels. I’ve been like David and so intent on absorbing the “authentic” experience that I forgot to enjoy myself in the moment.

We all face times on vacation when our expectations conflict with our traveling companions. Those subtle disappointments fester and create minor resentments that can blow up later in the trip. For David and Benji, their conflict boils over during a group dinner when family drama gets overshared. Both actors shine in this scene. Its emotions are sincere and heartbreaking.

A Real Pain is an actor’s movie without being “actor-y.” You don’t feel like you’re watching performances as much as you’re seeing a troubled relationship come to terms. Both actors are a revelation. Unlike so many of his more famous roles, Eisenberg is surprisingly restrained while Culkin is loud and inescapably raw. His performance pulsates with honest emotions.

Culkin steals this flick and Eisenberg lets him. It’s not a showy display, but you can’t take your eyes off him. He is both vulnerable and obnoxious, annoying and hilarious. Culkin more than earns his Best Supporting Actor nomination, playing “a real pain” in this movie.

His nuanced turn ensures that the double meaning of the title is readily apparent. This movie is his moment. Kieran has far eclipsed his famous sibling, traveling far from that soda slurping bed-wetter in the opening scenes of Home Alone. Kudos to him for ascending to Alpha Culkin status and taking us along for the ride.

Check out Jeff's other Nerdspresso columns on Southpoint Access!