Forget The Social Network—These Jesse Eisenberg Movies Will Blow You Away
There's no question that Jesse Eisenberg is the man you want when it comes to portraying super-smart, anxious, and/or socially awkward characters, no matter the genre. From quick-witted dramas, such as The Social Network , to satirical comedies like Zombieland , he truly reigns supreme.
While the award-winning actor, and now director and screenwriter, has given many great performances, none have been quite as impactful and flooring as those in recent films A Real Pain and Manodrome , two must-see movies for Eisenberg fans to stream as soon as possible!
A Real Pain (2024)
Jesse Eisenberg pairs up with the comedic force of nature that is Succession 's Kieran Culkin in this beautifully written, insightful dramedy about two cousins coping with life's pain in very different ways. Don't mistake A Real Pain for a downer—it's not. While there are heavy moments, it's a comical, then surprisingly dramatic, think piece meant to stir your emotions and heighten your awareness.
Eisenberg and Culkin play mismatched cousins David and Benji, who reunite for a Jewish heritage tour of Poland after their Holocaust-survivor grandmother dies. Not surprisingly, Dave is an awkward, anxious family man driven by urgency, mourning the loss of his grandmother while struggling to understand and get along with his cousin. Benji, on the other hand, is the exact opposite. He's funny, outgoing, confident, and charming—open to all that life has to offer. He goes with the flow and rides the wave, making people feel seen and heard. Underneath his loving, carefree exterior, though, lies a deep abyss of loneliness that has existed for years.
The draw here is the rich, witty character banter coupled with the levity and raw heartache of human emotion. Eisenberg and Culkin share some hilariously organic odd-couple dynamics, and both give award-winning performances in their separate explorations of human connection. Eisenberg has a knack for exploring how our relationships change as we get older.
Through the dichotomy of the cousins' perspectives, Eisenberg shows us that it's also about the emotions we experience in life and how we confront them. Some of us shove them down deep, while others numb them completely. Then there are those who acknowledge them, allow them to exist, and explore them to learn from them and heal. Only in that experience do we find our awareness and humanity.
Not only does Eisenberg star in A Real Pain, but he also wrote and directed the film, showcasing his multidisciplinary talent and awareness of carefully crafted plot, pace, characters, and tone. Also, the film features his son, Banner, in his very first silver screen appearance!
A Real Pain isn't just a must-see for fans of Eisenberg's work. It's essential viewing for everyone. Not only does Eisenberg star, but he also wrote and directed the film, showcasing his multidisciplinary talent. Also, the film features his son, Banner, in his very first silver screen appearance.
Manodrome (2023)
Buckle up for Manodrome . This is Jesse Eisenberg like you've never seen him, in a role so shocking—so flooring—that you won't soon forget it. The film was grossly overlooked and underrated and is, thanks to Eisenberg's performance, a must-see.
Manodrome is a crude meditation on toxic masculinity, specifically its effects and the limits of male anger and desperation when incited by the warped ideologies of a cult. The film isn't just a character study. It's a glimpse into a critically impressionable time in one man's life, where his downward spiral is anything but boring.
Eisenberg stars as Ralphie, a recently laid-off maintenance worker and soon-to-be father struggling to make ends meet. Each day, he struggles with feelings of self-loathing, aimlessness, and an intensely scathing confusion over his sexual identity. With adult responsibilities looming overhead like a storm cloud, Ralphie splits his time between driving for Uber and blowing off steam at the gym.
When his work-out buddy and Percocet dealer introduces him to "the guys," Ralphie's life and identity are forever altered. "The guys" are a diverse group of bachelors living together in a mansion owned by their leader—bankroller, Dan (Adrien Brody), or "Dad Dan," as he likes to be called. Dan is a three-time divorcee who, feeling threatened in his masculinity, revolted against the progress of gender norms and created his own family out of spite. In short, Manodrome is a weird libertarian masculinity cult. It's also a play on the word manosphere , a term for misogynist online communities, and you'll be shocked at what these men bond over in this house.
In tune with Ralphie's inherent pain and sadness, Dan uses a vulnerable moment to groom him and, upon seeing the growing rage within Ralphie's psyche, tells him, "There's a beauty inside of you. You have the cataclysmic power in you to create and annihilate," and it's all Ralphie needs to hear for his confidence to emerge.
Before long, Ralphie finds himself attempting to make a clean break from his pregnant girlfriend and unborn child, committing increasingly dangerous crimes to fill their bank account while feeding his overpowering need for respect. Then, he just disappears, lost in the Kool-Aid that is Manodrome . When he reappears, one experience sets off a violent string of events for Ralphie that you must see to believe.
Eisenberg is phenomenal in his visceral portrayal of what happens when life gets to be too much, when desperation is fueled by deep-seated anger, and on what happens when we try to take our power back with a lack of awareness. Instead of the cocky, socially awkward, anxious portrayals we are used to from Eisenberg, Manodrome presents him as a beefed-up ticking time bomb, and his explosive performance will shock you.
Whether you're looking for the best movies to binge on your favorite platform or even series that'll keep you glued to your seat all weekend, Eisenberg is bound to turn up in there somewhere. Go ahead and get your start with these two movies featuring must-see performances. You can thank me (or scold me) later.
