Jesse Eisenberg and Kieran Culkin play two cousins who take a trip through Poland to track down their family history in the teaser of the comedy-drama A Real Pain, dropped by the makers on Tuesday.
The one-minute-two-second-long teaser shows Jesse’s David and Kieran’s Benji visiting their grandmother’s house in Poland after her death and rediscovering family roots. It begins with David following Benji’s lead as the latter makes him board a train without a ticket. Evading the conductor’s eyes, the cousins hatch a plan to get to their destination in an unconventional way.
When Benji confidently says that they shouldn’t have to pay for tickets because they are travelling in their home country, David hits him with the realisation that they do not belong to Poland anymore because they were “kicked out for being cheap”.
Set to a classical score by Frédéric Chopin, the subsequent scenes show the duo reconnecting as they travel through the country and meet new people. They explore heritage sites and museums to learn more about their country and their family’s connection.
Jesse, whose directorial debut When You Finish Saving the World premiered at Sundance in 2022, has written and directed A Real Pain. Described as “a poignant, funny exploration of the unexpected permutations of intergenerational trauma”, the film is produced by Emma Stone under her Fruit Tree banner.
A Real Pain also stars Will Sharpe, Jennifer Grey, Kurt Egyiawan, Liza Sadovy and Daniel Oreskes.
