Is Jesse Eisenberg’s ‘A Real Pain’ Movie Streaming on Netflix or HBO Max?

Published Nov. 14, 2024, 12:30 p.m. ET

Jesse Eisenberg’s second film as a director, A Real Pain, was a modest hit when it opened in select theaters at the beginning of the month, earning over $900,000 with a limited release so far. Because of that success, Searchlight has opted to give this little Sundance indie a wide release, opening in hundreds of more theaters nationwide this weekend. Huzzah!

Written, directed, and produced by Eisenberg, A Real Pain is a light drama that tells the story of two very different cousins (played by Eisenberg and Keiran Culkin) who take a tour of Poland in honor of their late grandmother, a Holocaust survivor. The uptight David (Eisenberg) finds it his free-spirited and emotional cousin Benji (Culkin) to be, well, a real pain in the butt. But as they navigate their shared generational trauma and Jewish heritage, these two cousins find a way to better understand each other.

Also starring Will Sharpe, Jennifer Grey, Kurt Egyiawan, Liza Sadovy, and Daniel Oreskes, A Real Pain is a funny and touching family story. Read on to find out where to watch A Real Pain, and when to expect to see A Real Pain on streaming.

Photo: ©Searchlight Pictures/Courtesy Everett Collection

Where to watch Jesse Eisenberg’s movie A Real Pain:

A Real Pain will only be available to watch in a movie theater, when it opens in wide release the U.S. on Friday, November 15. (It already opened via a limited U.S. release on November 1.) You can find a showing near you via Fandango. A Real Pain is not yet available to watch online or on streaming.

Is A Real Pain streaming on Netflix or HBO Max?

A Real Pain is not streaming on Netflix or Max, and likely will not be on Netflix or Max any time soon, due to the fact that it is not a Netflix film nor a Warner Bros. film. A Real Pain is a Searchlight Pictures release, which is a studio that is owned by Disney. While some Searchlight films go to Disney+, most end up on the more adult-friendly streamer Hulu, which is also owned by Disney.

Photo: ©Searchlight Pictures/Courtesy Everett Collection

When will A Real Pain be streaming on Hulu?

A Real Pain is not yet streaming on Hulu. Right now, the movie is only in theaters. We do expect to see A Real Pain streaming on Hulu eventually, but we’re not sure when. Another Searchlight release, Kinds of Kindness, was released on digital about two months after the film opened in theaters, and was released on Hulu just a few days after that.

If A Real Pain follows a similar release pattern, you might see the movie on digital and on Hulu by January 2025.

This is all speculation. If you want to watch A Real Pain right away, you can catch the movie in theaters.