Train Dreams
Dennis Johnson’s 2011 novella, Train Dreams, is highly acclaimed. At 110 pages, you might think it’s a tough work to adapt for the screen, yet Clint Bentley has managed to accomplish the task with a Joel Edgerton-led film, which premiered at Sundance and arrives on Netflix in November. As with the source material, we follow Robert Grainier, a logger, helping to develop American railroads, largely in the years between the two world wars.
Robert (Edgerton) is a man of simple pleasures and means, content to return to his family when he’s not working and their small plot of land with a homely cabin. Much of the movie is focused on the changing world and attitudes of the world around him as both the railroad and his own life transform. There is a sweeping beauty as we see trees felled and the stunning landscapes shift. Adolpho Veloso creates a truly awe-inspiring visual feast, beautifully accompanied by the soothing score from Bryce Dessner.
Most of the source material is present in one way or another, especially through Will Patton’s narration that takes us inside Robert’s mindset. Edgerton is an actor who has arguably never been given a role that matches his skill set. Here, he is on wonderful form as the quiet, reflective Robert, soaking in the world around him. It is a calm, meditative performance with a lightness of touch. William H Macey is a fine foil in a small but vital role as Arn Peeples, one of Robert’s colleagues, a man full of words and wisdom. Felicity Jones and Kerry Condon round out the main cast, both as dependable as you might expect, but given less weighty material.
Bentley and co-writer Greg Kwedar miraculously bring the beloved novella to life in a feature that will make audiences take stock and reflect on their own existence. It is a beguiling, unique watch that charts a simple existence and finds wonder in life’s most mundane moments. It may be slow, but there is a calculated precision to it that creates something profound and emotive.
Train Dreams is a gorgeous adaptation of Johnson’s source material that captures changes both big and small across decades. It covers a vast amount of ground in an incredibly intimate fashion, anchored by Edgerton’s pensive, calm presence in one of his most impressive roles to date. The visuals are truly wondrous, bringing to screen the rugged rural landscapes and showcasing their evolution through an age of urbanisation.
Christopher Connor
Train Dreams is released on 21st November 2025.
Read more reviews from our London Film Festival coverage here.
For further information about the event, visit the London Film Festival website here.
Watch the trailer for Train Dreams here:
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