TRAIN DREAMS (2025) review
written by: Clint Bentley and Greg Kwedar
produced by: Marissa McMahon, Teddy Schwarzman, Will Janowitz, Ashley Schlaifer & Michael Heimler
directed by: Clint Bentley
rating: PG-13 (for some violence and sexuality)
runtime: 102 min.
U.S. release date: November 7, 2025 (select theaters) and November 21, 2025 (Netflix)
“Train Dreams” feels like a fever-dream memoir or the discovery of a long-lost journal of a man that would otherwise be forgotten. It’s a transportive viewing experience, as co-writer/director Clint Bentley (“Jockey”) adapts the 2011 novella of the same name by Denis Johnson. The story explores memory and loss, examining how these concepts are affected by the passage of time. Ordinarily, this wouldn’t appear to be a good fit for a transition to big-screen storytelling. However, Bentley does a masterful job at capturing our attention by maintaining the poetic tone of this mournful tale. “Train Dreams” is something special, capturing Johnson’s historical interests while also offering a beautiful atmosphere that at times feels like an emotional meditation.
From the opening, Bentley and his outstanding cinematographer, Adolpho Veloso, invite viewers to look at the world differently. The camera follows a towering tree in the Pacific Northwest closely as it drops to the ground, now dead and set apart from its living companions. It doesn’t take long to realize why the tree fell, as we’re reminded of the ongoing and ever-changing relationship between mankind and nature.
It’s the summer of 1917, and day laborer Robert Grainier (Joel Edgerton) is working in Idaho as part of a logging crew, and eventually works with another group to develop the railways in that area. Robert is a quiet, hard-working fellow who works well with others and doesn’t ask for much from anyone. Some of his working-class coworkers are gruff and harbor stereotypical racism towards the Chinese laborers who work alongside them. One day, an incident involving the murder of a Chinese worker, Fu Sheng (Alfred Hsing), in which Robert is implicated yet is merely a witness, occurs, a tragedy that will haunt him for the rest of his life.
From that day onward, Robert is witness to specific events in his life that either happen around him or to him personally, where it feels like a dark cloud is following him. It’s as if he’s cursed.
Into his life comes Gladys (Felicity Jones), a kind woman he summons the nerve to say “hello” to. She obliges, and the two fall in love with each other, committed to a life together. They find a plot of land between a forest and a stream and build a modest cabin for themselves. The film follows their first couple of years together, which involves Robert being gone for months on end during logging or railroading season. Soon enough, the couple is joined by baby daughter Kate, and Robert now has a family to look after, a greater purpose in life.
During the months that Robert works, we meet an assortment of characters whose lives have been dedicated to the same challenging labor jobs. There’s Boomer (Clifton Collins, Jr.) and old logger, Billy (John Diehl), as well as chatty logger, Apostle Frank (Paul Schneider), all of whom come and go in Robert’s life; some are brief, and some seem to stay around forever. One memorable character is explosives expert, Arn Peeples (William H. Macy), a lifer who pontificates on work, trees, life, and death, serving as a subconscious emblem to Robert for what these relentless jobs can do to a soul. During this time, we also learn how a sudden turn of events on the job can result in a severe injury or sudden death, due to falling branches or brush.
As Robert ages and his jobs change in unexpected ways, he remains haunted by the losses he has experienced over the years. When he’s not working, he’s a solitary figure remaining at his cabin with local Native American storekeeper and friend, Ignatius Jack (Nathaniel Arcand), checking in on him. Eventually, he develops a friendship with Claire Thompson (Kerry Condon), a forestry services employee assigned to a lookout position not far from Robert’s cabin. Through it all, Robert reflects on his life, eventually contending with a changing world as he watches the Apollo 8 crew orbit the moon on a television display in a department store in Washington state during the summer of 1968.
“Train Dreams” may seem like a downer, but it’s more a realistic look at a lost profession that’s rarely discussed. There are moments of levity among the laborers, some involving abrupt moments we don’t see coming. Bentley focuses on the sweet and tender moments 0n life that Robert holds onto as much as he shows the heartbreaking challenges he endures. The film is narrated by actor Will Patton (who was a friend of the late author and also narrates the audiobook), who isn’t playing a character in “Train Dreams”, but plays an integral role. His voice holds the picture together, introducing viewers to Robert and sharing what little he knew of his childhood. As a boy, he never knew his parents, and it’s a miracle he survived long enough to become an adult.
The storytelling approach feels like an internal narrative, flowing from memories to the present day, one that moves fluidly to give us an understanding of Robert’s experiences as the years pass. The first half of “Train Dreams” is focused on Robert’s early days, following him into the woods to work with laborers hired to bring down entire forests to feed “company” interests during a time of significant industrial and migratory activity. The beauty of nature surrounds him, yet he’s being paid to destroy it, which results in internal conflict for Robert.
While the story isn’t episodic, it does offer a study of encounters, as Robert meets other laborers, giving him an idea of what to expect in his future if he stays in this dangerous business. Dreams of past tragedies often disrupt his sleep, while at other times, he daydreams about his wife and daughter. He witnesses fatal logging accidents and is devastated by a wildfire, both of which will haunt him forever.
Most of “Train Dreams” plays like a trance, weaving in and out of Robert’s mind, leaving us to figure out what’s real and what are wishful dreams or haunting nightmares. The film emphasizes careful characterization over linear narrative, and most of Edgerton’s excellent work (career-best in a great body of work, so far) here is in silent acknowledgement of the world that surrounds him. The actor delivers a soulful performance that draws viewers in, especially during the heartbreaking moments. The supporting cast is spot-on, with Bentley allowing them plenty of space to find their moments, which fully realize the richness of the story.
No doubt comparisons to specific works from Terrence Malick and Andrew Dominick, and that would be accurate in comparing overall tone and visuals. Still, Bentley excels at imbuing “Train Dreams” with an ethereal quality that feels like a fever dream. The score by Bryce Dessner (one half of the band The National) accentuates Bentley’s approach with a combination of piano, strings, and woodwind instruments, becoming as important to the viewing experience as Patton’s narrator.
Ultimately, “Train Dreams” is a film that is best viewed if you allow it to enter your heart. It may require more from some viewers who aren’t accustomed to surrendering themselves to a film’s aura, but it’s guaranteed to be a wholly rewarding experience if one does. Bentley and Kwedar are gifted with Johnson’s poetic work, turning it into an economy of story elements and luscious set designs, and offering a plaintive film where no moment matters. It’s a film that will remind you of the importance of cherishing time and the gift of experiencing beauty and love.
RATING: ****
