"A Real Pain" - Review

Uptight, buttoned down David (Jesse Eisenberg) and his free-wheeling, impulsive cousin Benji (Kieran Culkin) embark on an historical tour of Poland in honour of their recently deceased grandmother.

A sharply observed look at the classic "buddy cop" trip with an excruciating performance from Culkin as the temperamental Benji, revelling in social awkwardness, and a relatively low key character drama. The thoughts on grief and tragedy are personal and touching, and meet neatly in the middle between the viewpoints of the two characters, feeling nuanced. There's an excellent addition with Kurt Egyiawan's storyline, creative and touching, and it's always nice to see Jennifer Grey and Will Sharpe pulling great supporting duties.