Title – Train Dreams (2025)

Director – Clint Bentley (Jockey)

Cast – Joel Edgerton, Felicity Jones, William H. Macey, Kerry Condon

Plot – Softly spoken logger Robert Grainier (Edgerton) traverses his own life as it intertwines with others including his beloved wife Gladys (Jones), forestry worker Claire Thompson (Condon) and friend and confidant Arn Peeples (Macey) during the early 20th century.

“Even though that old world is gone now, even though it’s been rolled up like a scroll and put somewhere, you can still feel the echo of it”

Review by Eddie on 25/11/2025

Fresh off their collaboration that was the Oscar nominated prison drama Sing Sing, filmmakers Clint Bentley and Greg Kwedar have struck dramatic gold once again with their profoundly moving and stunningly artistic adaptation of author Denis Johnson’s novella Train Dreams.

Swapping roles this time around with Bentley moving in behind the camera and Kwedar sticking to joint scripting duties, the duos work on Dreams was duly recognised by Netflix after its lauded premiere at the 2025 Sundance Film Festival with hopes now this beautifully realised slice of life tale can get just rewards at the upcoming awards season that is about to take over Hollywood.

As softly spoken as its centre of attention Robert Grainier, a hardworking logger who is brought to life here by what could be argued to be Joel Edgerton’s career best performance, Dreams calls to mind past works of Terrence Malick and other etherical and artistically minded slice of life explorations, but this is more than a mere homage or tribute as Bentley and the Dreams team gift us a special film, which has a rare power infrequently found to such levels in most finished films.

Working alongside Will Patton’s effective narration that never outstays its welcome or intrudes this otherwise introspective tale, Dreams takes place in the early 20th century in the American Pacific Northwest as we follow Grainer on a life-long journey full of love, laughter, loss and learnings all thoughtfully captured by Adolpho Veloso’s cinematography work and accompanied by Bryce Dessner’s unobtrusive but highly emotive score.

Transpiring over the course of a mere 100 minutes, there’s an abundance of narrative and learnings to unpack from Dreams brief feeling runtime, all of which entails a collection of awards worthy performances with a scene stealing William H. Macey, making a case for best use of limited screentime this year as elderly logging worker Arn Peeples, a kind and considered soul who makes a lasting impression on the introverted Grainier.

It’s not hyperbolic to say that Dreams is filled to the brim with notable elements, a finely tuned and considered exploration of the human condition that Bentley and Kwedar have gone to great lengths to form into this wonderfully thoughtful drama that just so happens to at the same time capture beauty in many a varied form, from felled trees through to those brief but life-affirming moments of childhood, it’s a complete package of a film that is sure to touch the hearts of many who take the time to view it.

In turn unfortunate that many won’t be able to watch on the big screen it deserves but at the same time heartening to know so many more viewers will discover this fine work of art at home thanks to its Netflix backed release, Dreams is an unassuming feature that has managed to do and give so much, creating one of 2025’s most stunning cinematic offerings and a film destined to be highly regarded for the years and decades yet to come.

Final Say –

A lovingly crafted and beautifully realised work of art that strikes a deep and rich emotional core, Train Dreams is an awards worthy tale of all the little things that make life and our individual lives so full of the wonderous, the heart wrenching and the seemingly insignificant but grand, gifting us a feature film to be adored and cherished for the now and the years ahead.

5 pairs of nailed boots out of 5