Kieran Culkin Is Good in A Real Pain, but Have You Seen Him in This Unfairly Forgotten Comic Book Adaptation?

In his earlier years, Kieran Culkin might not have received as much of critical acclaim as his brother Macaulay who is now forever favorite kid from Home Alone, but it doesn’t mean that the former’s old flicks didn’t deserve a proper recognition.

Now being the frontrunner for the Academy award that his new movie A Real Pain is likely to bring him, Kieran Culkin rose to stardom in 2018 when he showed up in HBO’s satirical drama Succession in one of the leading roles, yet the actor’s career path goes back to the 1990s and early 2000s.

At the time, after taking some minor movie roles, Culkin landed the main role in a 2002 comedy drama that features one of his best performances so far.

The Dangerous Lives of Altar Boys Proves Kieran Culkin Has Been Oscar-Worthy All Along

Coming off Home Alone, where he also played alongside his brother, and some other big movies where Culkin mostly got supporting roles, the actor starred in a 2002 comic book adaptation The Dangerous Lives of Altar Boys.

The movie follows Culkin’s Tim Sullivan and his friends who, growing up in a very strict and religious community, entertain themselves by pulling harmless pranks and jokes all around. However, the seemingly funny premise soon unveils the movie’s more profound layers, also making it clear that The Dangerous Lives of Altar Boys isn’t about fun at all.

Even with his friends’ numerous attempts to make life for all of them easier there, Kieran Culkin’s character feels burdened by a constant thought about many years of his childhood wasted as, unlike other children, he couldn’t have a normal childhood anyway.

Through Tim, the movie channeled then tabooed themes of anxiety and depression, which are also crucial for understanding Culkin’s character in the now Oscar-nominated drama A Real Pain.

The Dangerous Lives of Altar Boys Is a Critical Darling That You Can Watch for Free

Despite being unjustly forgotten now, the movie was a massive hit among both critics and viewers, and back in the day secured scores of 76% and 79% respectively on Rotten Tomatoes.

There’s another good news for those who now embarked on a mission to binge-watch all of Kieran Culkin’s flicks ahead of the actor’s almost definite win at the Oscars: The Dangerous Lives of Altar Boys is currently streaming for free on Tubi, so the mission is now even easier to accomplish (unless you won’t be able to tolerate a couple of ads throughout the film’s run).