A Real Pain is a 2024 buddy road comedy-drama film written and directed by Jesse Eisenberg, who stars opposite Kieran Culkin. An international co-production between Poland and the United States, the film follows mismatched cousins who reunite for a heritage tour through Poland in honor of their late grandmother, but their old tensions resurface against the backdrop of their family history. The cast also includes Will Sharpe, Jennifer Grey, Kurt Egyiawan, Liza Sadovy, and Daniel Oreskes.

The film first premiered in competition at the 2024 Sundance Film Festival, where it won the Waldo Salt Screenwriting Award. A Real Pain competed in several film festivals before it was released theatrically in the United States on November 1, 2024, and in Poland on November 8 through Searchlight Pictures. The film received acclaim from critics, who praised Eisenberg's direction and screenplay, Culkin's performance, and its emotional weight. On the review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, the film holds an approval rating of based on reviews, making it the platform's best-reviewed drama movie of 2024.

A Real Pain was named one of the top ten films of 2024 by the National Board of Review and the American Film Institute. Culkin became the third actor in history to win Best Supporting Performance honors from the four most prestigious American film critics associations: the Los Angeles Film Critics Association, the National Board of Review, the National Society of Film Critics, and the New York Film Critics Circle. A Real Pain received four nominations at the 82nd Golden Globe Awards, where Culkin won Best Supporting Actor.

Accolades

Award Date of ceremony Category Nominee(s) Result AACTA International Awards February 7, 2025 Best Screenplay Best Supporting Actor Academy Awards March 2, 2025 Best Supporting Actor Best Original Screenplay Alliance of Women Film Journalists EDA Awards January 7, 2025 Best Actor in a Supporting Role Best Screenplay, Original American Cinema Editors Awards March 14, 2025 Best Edited Feature Film (Comedy, Theatrical) Robert Nassau American Film Festival November 6, 2024 Indie Star Award American Film Institute Awards December 5, 2024 Top 10 Films of the Year A Real Pain Astra Film Awards December 8, 2024 Best Picture Best Comedy or Musical Best Actor Best Original Screenplay Best Supporting Actor Atlanta Film Critics Circle Awards December 9, 2024 Best Supporting Actor Austin Film Critics Association Awards January 6, 2025 Best Supporting Actor Best Original Screenplay British Academy Film Awards February 16, 2025 Best Original Screenplay Best Actor in a Supporting Role Capri Hollywood International Film Festival January 2, 2025 Best Supporting Actor Casting Society of America Awards February 12, 2025 Outstanding Achievement in Casting: Studio or Independent Feature – Comedy Jessica Kelly Chicago Film Critics Association Awards December 11, 2024 Best Supporting Actor Best Original Screenplay Chicago Indie Critics Awards January 17, 2025 Best Original Screenplay Best Supporting Actor Critics Association of Central Florida Awards January 2, 2025 Best Screenplay Best Supporting Actor Critics' Choice Movie Awards February 7, 2025 Best Supporting Actor Best Original Screenplay Best Comedy A Real Pain Columbus Film Critics Association Awards January 2, 2025 Frank Gabrenya Award for Best Comedy Best Supporting Performance Best Original Screenplay Dallas–Fort Worth Film Critics Association Awards December 18, 2024 Best Picture A Real Pain Best Supporting Actor Denver Film Critics Society Awards January 24, 2025 Best Supporting Performance by an Actor, Male Best Original Screenplay Dorian Awards February 13, 2025 Supporting Film Performance of the Year Florida Film Critics Circle Awards December 20, 2024 Best Actor Best Original Screenplay Georgia Film Critics Association Awards January 7, 2025 Best Supporting Actor Best Original Screenplay GoldDerby Film Awards February 11, 2025 Best Original Screenplay Best Supporting Actor Golden Globe Awards January 5, 2025 Best Motion Picture – Musical or Comedy A Real Pain Best Actor – Motion Picture Musical or Comedy Best Screenplay Best Supporting Actor – Motion Picture Golden Tomato Awards January 16, 2025 Best-Reviewed Drama Movie A Real Pain Gotham Awards December 2, 2024 Outstanding Supporting Performance Greater Western New York Film Critics Association Awards January 4, 2025 Best Picture A Real Pain Best Supporting Actor Best Original Screenplay Hawaii Film Critics Society Awards January 13, 2025 Best Original Screenplay Best Supporting Actor Haifa International Film Festival January 11, 2025 Best Film – Carmel International Cinema Competition A Real Pain Heartland International Film Festival October 21, 2024 Humor & Humanity Award Houston Film Critics Society Awards January 14, 2025 Best Picture Best Screenplay Best Supporting Actor Independent Spirit Awards February 22, 2025 Best Supporting Performance Best Screenplay Indiana Film Journalists Association Awards December 16, 2024 Best Film A Real Pain Best Director Best Lead Performance Best Original Screenplay Best Supporting Performance Best Ensemble Acting A Real Pain IndieWire Critics Poll December 16, 2024 Best Screenplay Iowa Film Critics Association Awards December 16, 2024 Best Supporting Actor Irish Film & Television Awards February 14, 2025 Best International Actor Kansas City Film Critics Circle Awards January 4, 2025 Best Film A Real Pain Best Supporting Actor Best Original Screenplay La Roche-sur-Yon International Film FestivalOctober 20, 2024 Grand Prix du Jury – Compétition internationaleA Real Pain Prix spécial du jury – Compétition internationale Las Vegas Film Critics Society Awards December 13, 2024 Best Supporting Actor Best Screenplay – Original Breakout Filmmaker of the Year Latino Entertainment Journalists Association Awards February 17, 2025 Best Original Screenplay Best Supporting Actor London Film Critics' Circle Awards February 2, 2025 Supporting Actor of the Year Screenwriter of the Year Los Angeles Film Critics Association Awards December 8, 2024 Best Screenplay Best Supporting Performance Mar del Plata International Film Festival December 1, 2024 Best International Feature Film Michigan Movie Critics Guild Awards December 9, 2024 Best Supporting Actor Minnesota Film Critics Association Awards January 10, 2025 Best Supporting Actor Best Original Screenplay Music City Film Critics Association Awards January 10, 2025 Best Screenplay Best Supporting Actor National Board of Review Awards December 4, 2024 Top 10 Films A Real Pain Best Supporting Actor National Society of Film Critics Awards January 4, 2025 Best Supporting Actor Best Screenplay New Orleans Film Festival October 22, 2024 Grand Jury Award – Narrative Feature A Real Pain Newport Beach Film Festival October 31, 2024 Audience Award – Best Comedy Outstanding Performance – Male New York Film Critics Circle Awards December 3, 2024 Best Supporting Actor New York Film Critics Online Awards December 16, 2024 Best Supporting Actor Best Screenplay North Carolina Film Critics Association Awards January 3, 2025 Best Supporting Actor North Dakota Film Society Awards January 13, 2025 Best Supporting Actor Best Screenplay North Texas Film Critics Association Awards December 30, 2024 Best Supporting Actor Best Screenplay Online Association of Female Film Critics Awards December 23, 2024 Best Original Screenplay Best Supporting Male Online Film Critics Society Awards January 27, 2025 Best Supporting Actor Best Original Screenplay Online Film & Television Association Awards February 23, 2025 Best Picture A Real Pain Best Supporting Actor Best Original Screenplay Palm Springs International Film Festival January 3, 2025 Breakthrough Performance Award Philadelphia Film Critics Circle Awards December 21, 2024 Best Supporting Actor Phoenix Critics Circle Awards December 12, 2024 Best Supporting Actor Best Screenplay Phoenix Film Critics Society Awards December 16, 2024 Best Actor in a Supporting Role Polish Film Awards March 10, 2025 Best Supporting Actor Best Screenplay Portland Critics Association Awards January 14, 2025 Best Supporting Performance (Male) Best Screenplay Best Comedy Feature A Real Pain Producers Guild of America Awards February 8, 2025 Darryl F. Zanuck Award for Outstanding Producer of Theatrical Motion Pictures Robert Awards January 31, 2026 Best English Language Film Jesse Eisenberg SCAD Savannah Film Festival October 28, 2024 Virtuoso Award Santa Barbara International Film Festival February 15, 2025 Virtuoso Award San Diego Film Critics Society Awards December 9, 2024 Best Supporting Actor Best Original Screenplay San Francisco Bay Area Film Critics Circle Awards December 16, 2024 Best Original Screenplay Best Supporting Actor Satellite Awards January 26, 2025 Best Motion Picture – Comedy or Musical A Real Pain Best Actor in a Motion Picture – Comedy or Musical Best Original Screenplay Best Actor in a Supporting Role Screen Actors Guild Awards February 23, 2025 Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Supporting Role Seattle Film Critics Society Awards December 16, 2024 Best Screenplay Best Supporting Actor Southeastern Film Critics Association December 16, 2024 Best Supporting Actor St. Louis Film Critics Association Awards December 15, 2024 Best Supporting Actor Best Original Screenplay Best Comedy Film A Real Pain Sundance Film FestivalJanuary 26, 2024 Grand Jury Prize – Dramatic Waldo Salt Screenwriting Award Toronto Film Critics Association Awards December 15, 2024 Outstanding Supporting Performance Utah Film Critics Association Awards January 11, 2025 Best Supporting Performance, Male Best Screenplay Valladolid International Film Festival October 26, 2024 Punto de Encuentro Award A Real Pain Vancouver Film Critics Circle Awards February 19, 2025 Best Picture Best Screenplay Best Supporting Male Actor Warsaw Jewish Film Festival November 10, 2024 Grand Prix – POLIN A Real Pain Best Narrative Feature Washington D.C. Area Film Critics Association Awards December 8, 2024 Best Supporting Actor Best Original Screenplay Writers Guild of America Awards February 15, 2025 Best Original Screenplay

Notes

See also 2024 in film

References

External links