The Wasteland Reviewer

Train Dreams (2025) Written Review

Are you ready for one of the most surprising and unexpected gems of the whole fall movie season? Netflix has a stacked deck of films this fall as they are obviously gunning for some big awards results this year. Kathryn Bigelow. Richard Linklater. Noah Baumbach. Guillermo del Toro There are some big names leading the awards charge for Netflix. But Clint Bentley might have the best film coming from Netflix this year. Train Dreams is a powerful drama and frontier tale that is both about a deep human journey and about the evolution of America itself. Denis Johnson’s novella comes to life in the hands of Bentley as he tells the tale of logger and railroad worker Robert Grainier. 

What tone and vibe do Bentley craft when telling this tale of love, loss, and isolation? One of the most unique aspects of Train Dreams is the storybook style of storytelling that Bentley chooses to go with. There are long stretches of the film with wall-to-wall narration. This is not the most effective way to maximize the visual storytelling of the cinematic medium but there is something deeply profound and rich in the way that Bentley realizes this in Train Dreams. Will Patton’s rugged, textured, and authentic storytelling voice gives the experience weight and power. The overall tone of the film is in the vein of old school oral history and there is something majestic about it. Majesty is only matched by the rich and textured approach to visual storytelling that Bentley explores as well. The visuals of this film are gorgeous as much of this film is set in the raw frontiers of the America frontier. These beautiful landscapes give way to desolation from logging and that just reinforces the modernization that Train Dreams explore so perfectly. The camera moves in striking and dynamic ways while crafting such an engrossing cinematic experience. The work of cinematographer Adolpha Veloso will not go unnoticed as it deserves much praise. The rich and layered score from Bryce Dessner does impressive heavy lifting as it dictates some effective tonal shifts from a sense of awe and majesty of the frontier to the tragedy that begets Grainier and his family due to forces of nature. Few films have such a distinct voice as Train Dreams, making it one of the richest experiences of the cinematic year. 

What does Bentley and Greg Kwedar explore in their adaptation of Johnson’s novella? Grainier goes on quite a poignant journey from a personal level as well as reflecting humanity’s relationship with progress. On a more human level, this film starts as a moving and poignant love story. Train Dreams might not have the most complex or layered romantic elements but there are an authenticity and raw feeling when it comes to the connection that Grainier develops with his wife, Gladys, and their child. The film does such a great job of exploring the family dynamics and reinforcing their connection that it makes the inevitable tragedy that awaits hit so much harder. Grainier’s transition into a life of isolation is tragic yet effective and Bentley and Kwedar outline his journey so effectively. The other side of the coin is Grainier’s journey as a logger and the life lessons he learns from those he meets along the way. You experience, along with Grainier, a wide range of colorful characters who add layers to the thematic structure of the piece while delivering plenty of entertaining elements as well. Grainier’s journey is rich in historical context and themes which makes his tragic story so much more meaningful. Few films balance the deep personal layers with the bigger thematic work like Train Dreams does. 

With so many impressive elements already, does the cast add more through the performances? Joel Edgerton captures the rugged aesthetic of her character so well along with the emotional layers of his journey. He sells the physicality of being a logger and physical laborer so well while also meeting the emotional expectations of Grainier’s story. There are endearing moments sprinkled throughout we witness Edgerton being sweet and tender with his on-screen wife and child. You also get to see Edgerton dig deep to the darkest depths of his emotion in the face of tragedy. Felicity Jones is not given the most to work with but her natural charisma and charm goes a long way in selling her connection with Edgerton on screen. There are plenty of veteran character actors who make their presence felt throughout this film. Clifton Collins Jr., John Diehl, and William H. Macy each get moments to stand out with their honest perspectives. Kerry Condon makes the most of her limited role as well. A good chunk of this film rests on the shoulders of Edgerton, and he does not falter in the slightest. 

What makes Train Dreams so powerful and compelling? This is a frontier story that spans decades allowing Bentley to explore the rising tide of technology and explore the American experience of travel and searching for new purpose. The more human elements of the film are poignant and layered exploring themes of love, loss, and isolation. The filmmaking trappings that Bentley explores makes this film so gorgeous, layered, and engrossing. The narration gives the film an old timey feel that matches the vision of Grainier’s story. Striking in its beauty and powerful in its story, Train Dreams just might be the sleeper hit of the fall movie season.