Baftas 2025: ‘A Real Pain’ wins ‘Best Original Screenplay’
Jesse Eisenberg has won the Bafta for ‘Best Original Screenplay’ for the comedy drama, A Real Pain, which he also directed and co-stars in.
The film follows two cousins (Eisenberg and Kieran Culkin) who travel to Europe to go on a Jewish heritage tour in honour of their late grandmother.
In his acceptance speech, Eisenberg joked that he hadn’t prepared a speech because he didn’t expect to win. “I want to share this with my wife who didn’t come because she didn’t think I’d win,” he quipped.
The director continued: “I want to share this with my wife because I’m not a stupid person; I’m an idiot, and when we first started dating, she dragged me to Venezuela, and in the last 20 years, she dragged me around the world, and that’s how I’ve learnt about the world. So Anna, you’ve put every worthwhile thought into my head.”
A Real Pain is Eisenberg’s second feature film as a screenwriter and director following 2022’s When You Finish Saving the World.The film is also nominated for ‘Best Supporting Actor’ for Culkin, though it lost out when it came to the ‘Best Film’ and ‘Best Director’ categories.
It is also nominated for ‘Best Original Screenplay’ and ‘Best Supporting Actor’ at next month’s Oscars. Culkin has already won the Golden Globe for his performance.
In Far Out‘s five star review of the film, Emily Ruuskanen wrote, “A Real Pain masterfully blends both humour and darkness, striking a perfect balance in the grey area between both that reflects our reluctance to fully confront the darkness, either hiding behind a socially acceptable pain or ignoring the suffering that desperately demands our attention.”
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