The nominations for the 2025 Academy Awards are officially out — and two movies tied to the Sundance Film Festival earned some recognition.
As Sundance kicks off Thursday in Park City, Utah, here’s a look at two of the entries from last year that are currently in the Oscars spotlight.
‘A Real Pain’
Per The New York Times, “A Real Pain” has earned the following two Oscar nominations:
- Best supporting actor, Kieran Culkin
- Best original screenplay
In “A Real Pain,” cousins David (Jesse Eisenberg) and Benji (Kieran Culkin) embark on a heritage tour throughout Poland to honor their late grandmother, who was a Holocaust survivor.
“At its core, it’s a deeply vulnerable film about grief and pain,” Natalie Issa wrote for the Deseret News following the movie’s premiere at the Sundance Film Festival last year. “Benji wears his heart on his sleeve, resulting in an alluring charisma, but also sudden, cruel outbursts and deep displays of grief. Meanwhile, David expresses his love and admiration for his cousin while simultaneously resenting him, for reasons that are made clear halfway through the film.
“The film, both hilarious and heartbreaking, is a triumph for Eisenberg and Culkin,“ she continued. ”Eisenberg received a standing ovation from the audience at the film’s premiere, while Culkin shines in a charismatic and sorrowful performance.”
Eisenberg wrote and directed “A Real Pain” — his second film as director — and has said that much of the movie is based on his family’s personal history.
He noted that they “even filmed a scene at the little apartment that my family fled from in 1938,” as the Deseret News reported.
“What makes the movie resonant for me is that (the cousins’) complicated relationship is set against the backdrop of the history and trauma of Eastern Europe and the Second World War,” Eisenberg said in a video shared on the Sundance Institute’s YouTube channel. “So it kind of frames their personal troubles in a global perspective and allows me to explore the question of pain. Specifically, how do we reconcile our contemporary struggles against the backdrop of historical trauma?”
The movie was a big hit at the Sundance Film Festival and the Golden Globes, where it earned four nominations. Culkin won the award for best performance by an actor in a supporting role.
“A Real Pain” is currently available for streaming on Hulu.
‘A Different Man’
“A Different Man” earned an Oscar nomination for best makeup and hairstyling, per The New York Times.
The movie created some buzz at the recent Golden Globes, after it became one of three Sundance films that were represented in the category for best actor in a comedy or musical.
Eisenberg and Glen Powell (“Hit Man”) were recognized for their lead roles, but the award ultimately went to Sebastian Stan for his role in “A Different Man.”
The film follows an aspiring actor who undergoes a radical medical procedure to drastically transform his appearance.
“Our ignorance and discomfort around disability and disfigurement has to end now,” Stan said in his acceptance speech, per People. “We have to normalize it and continue to expose ourselves to it and our children encourage acceptance. One way we can do that is by continuing to champion stories that are inclusive.”
“A Different Man” is available for streaming on Max.