Train Dreams (Clint Bentley, 2025, USA)

Train Dreams is Clint Bentley’s adaptation of Denis Johnson’s 2011 novella. Set primarily at the beginning of the 20th century, the film tells the life story of Robert Grainier, a logger and railroad laborer in the Pacific Northwest. It recounts his marriage, the birth of his child, and a tragic accident that leaves him despondent and seemingly void of purpose. The film also presents, in some sense, Grainier’s final redemption. The film spans multiple decades and shows the transformation of America and the country’s taming of its northwesternmost section. Over the course of this transformation, we see Grainier himself transformed.

Filmmaking duo Clint Bentley and Greg Kwedar are coming off of their last success with Sing Sing, and their style seems to be a new American naturalism. It is hard to watch Train Dreams without immediately thinking of Terence Malick. To be fair, the filmmakers have acknowledged that Malick is a huge influence on the film. Malick has served as a touchstone for tons of American filmmakers, but here his influence is all over - from the film’s narration, to its elliptical narrative quality, to the cinematography. The film is certainly a beauty to behold.

Joel Edgerton plays Robert Grainier in an understated fashion. While Train Dreams is beautiful to watch, there is something missing here to take the film to the next level. It is not that the film elicits a “so what?”, but there is the feeling that there could have been something more substantial done with the source material. Still, the film is rather short at around an hour and fourty minutes, and so it is does not overstay its welcome. William H. Macy is a strong addition to the ensemble. Overall, Train Dreams is pleasing, but it is not likely to remain in the memory over the years.

6/10