The films that feel like they’re giving you the entirety of a life, getting to the heart and soul of what it means to be a person, are few and far between, but they feel exceptional when they’re able to convey this effectively. Train Dreams is one of these films, the type of movie with a beauty that stuns you, leaving you in your seat to mull over the story you’ve just seen, and reflect on your own life. Clint Bentley’s second feature is an absolute knockout and monumentally powerful story of a man living his life in early 20th-century America. It’s a simple, no-frills life, and yet, Bentley’s story will hit you at your core and leave an impact like few other films this year will.
‘Train Dreams’ Is a Tremendously Powerful Look at a Man’s Life in the Early 20th Century

Train Dreams follows the life of Robert Grainier (Joel Edgerton), a quiet man living in Idaho at the beginning of the 20th century. Robert works as a logger, cutting down trees alongside other men, and going where the work takes him. It’s a solitary life, especially considering most of the men he meets are strangers who keep to themselves. One time, he decided to take a job working on building the railroad, yet it’s a gig he’ll regret his entire life, as he watches the murder of a Chinese immigrant that he isn’t able to stop. As we’ll see over the years, this moment will stick with him forever, as he questions if his life has become a punishment for his inability to save the man. During one of his breaks from a job, Robert meets Gladys (Felicity Jones), and the pair fall madly in love and get married just a few months later. Robert builds a home for Gladys, and they make a beautiful life together, eventually leading to the birth of their daughter. But as Robert continues working in the incredibly dangerous jobs he’s suited for, he worries about his life slipping away from him, as he’d rather be close to home with his family and fears that his daughter is growing up without a father. Since Robert is very much a reserved protagonist, his story is told by a gorgeously warm and knowing voiceover by Will Patton. Yet this device is never overbearing or explaining the obvious, but rather, it feels like Robert’s life is a story we’re having read to us. Patton’s narration is essential to the scope and grandeur of this film, while also telling us the intricacies of Robert’s life that he wouldn’t share, since he’s often in isolation. From the way this narration tells Robert’s tale to the fractured glimpse of his life, showing the important moments of his story, Train Dreams feels incredibly literary, which makes sense, given that this script by Bentley and Sing Sing co-writer Greg Kwedar is based on the Denis Johnson novella of the same name.
‘Train Dreams’ Is an Absolutely Stunning Film, Visually and Emotionally

This presentation of Robert’s life is truly breathtaking, with shot after shot of overwhelming beauty thanks to Bentley’s direction and cinematographer Adolpho Veloso, whom Bentley worked with on his first feature, 2021’s Jockey. Every shot is immaculately presented and stunning to get lost in, from the candlelit cabins in the middle of nowhere and the lush green woods that Robert works in, to the darkness of the night that only heightens the isolation of those within it. Watching Train Dreams, it’s impossible not to think of the work of Terrence Malick and similar filmmakers that could make everyday life feel grandiose. Aiding in this is a spectacular score by Bryce Dessner, which heightens the power of every scene — especially in the outstanding final scenes that make the simple moments magnificent. Even though Train Dreams is staggering to look at, it’s the screenplay by Kwedar and Bentley that makes this story soar. The story is told in fragments, as though we’re looking through a scrapbook of a person’s memories, where Bentley and Kwedar can jump back and forth through time to heighten the emotion of a moment. For example, soon after Robert watches the immigrant man die in front of him, we jump forward a few years to see that an interstate has been built next to the train track, making their time working on the rails almost irrelevant, and this violence even more senseless and unnecessary. As Robert considers his past more and more, these reminders of where he’s come from hit harder the further his life progresses. By the end of Train Dreams, we feel as though we’ve lived Robert’s life alongside him, and it makes his experience particularly potent as we watch it unfold.
Joel Edgerton and Felicity Jones Give Some of Their Best Performances Yet

Bentley proves himself to be a tremendous director of actors, letting moments sit and allowing us to relish in the scene, as the actors simply live in character. This is easily the best performance we’ve seen from Edgerton up to this point, full of sorrow, heartbreak, and loneliness that we can feel deep in our bones, too. The regret, the loss, and the disappointments are palpable, and he’s giving us so much while saying so little. Even without Patton’s narration, Edgerton’s performance makes us feel every moment of what this character is going through. Train Dreams is also bursting at the seams with great supporting performances. Primary among these is Jones as Gladys, a tender, loving portrayal that makes us understand why Robert feels lost when he’s away from her. Since we follow this story through Robert’s perspective, we don’t see the tribulations that Gladys has to tend to at home with him away, but we can glean the difficulties that she deals with through Jones’ performance. Also wonderful is William H. Macy as Peeples, a charming, talkative character Robert takes a liking to while logging, as well as Kerry Condon as Claire Thompson, a character who doesn’t have much screen time, but the hope she gives Robert when he most needs it is integral to this story as it goes on. Each character we meet leaves an impression on Robert, and everyone feels relevant and essential to his life’s journey in some way. While Train Dreams is an arresting look at a simple man’s life, it’s just as much a celebration of those who haven’t been remembered over the years, but for better or worse, changed America fundamentally. Sometimes, all that might be left of them is their boots nailed to a tree after their passing, but it’s proof that they were there, and that matters. As one character says, a dead tree is just as important as one that’s alive, and Train Dreams shows that everyone and everything we do leaves a mark on this world in some way or another. Everything matters, even if it’s as small as knocking down a tree or living our existence as best we can. Train Dreams shows the difficulties we will all go through in life, the cruelties we face, and how we may not come to some grand realization before our deaths. But it also celebrates that life is full of unexpected surprises and beauty that we must hold onto, especially in the darkest of times, encompassing both the good and bad of what the human experience can be. Train Dreams is without a doubt one of the most extraordinary films of this year, the type that will stick with you, deep in your mind and heart, long after the credits roll. Train Dreams screened at the Virginia Film Festival. Train Dreams comes to theaters in limited release on November 7, before its release on Netflix on November 21.

Release Date

November 7, 2025

Runtime

102 minutes

Director

Clint Bentley

Writers

Greg Kwedar, Clint Bentley

Producers

Ashley Schlaifer, Marissa McMahon, Michael Heimler, Teddy Schwarzman, Will Janowitz

Pros & Cons

Train Dreams makes you feel like you’re watching the entirety of a man’s life, with all its intricacies and power.
Joel Edgerton and Felicity Jones give two of their best performances yet.
Every frame of Clint Bentley’s film is absolutely stunning.
Train Dreams is the type of film that sticks with you years after you watch it.