The first big Sundance 2024 sell has arrived. “A Real Pain,” directed by Jesse Eisenberg, starring himself and Kieran Culkin, has gone to Disney’s Searchlight for a cool $10 million.
Eisenberg & Culkin star as mismatched cousins David and Benji. They reunite for a tour of Poland to honor their grandmother, but older tensions resurface against the backdrop of their family’s history
The film, playing in the US Dramatic Competition, is now the frontrunner to win both the audience and Jury awards, which will be announced next weekend. The reviews from last night’s screening have been, mostly, raves for the warmhearted comedy.
The buzz for “A Real Pain” started after its premiere last night at the Eccles Theater. Soon after, a number of studios participated in the bidding war. It also helps that Culkin is coming off winning the Critics Choice and Emmy Awards for his performance in HBO’s “Succession.”
I will say that not all of the reviews have been flat-out raves, there are some hesitant ones coming in from the likes of The Guardian and IndieWire. Remember, Sundance is THE festival for overhyped films — critics over there drink the mountain-air infused kool aid. I’ll be watching “A Real Pain” on Tuesday.