Train Dreams

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Train Dreams

PG-13

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1h 42m

Drama

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Tomatometer

Popcornmeter

95%

Tomatometer

116 Reviews

86%

Popcornmeter

100+ Ratings

Based on the beloved novella by Denis Johnson, Train Dreams is the moving portrait of Robert Grainier (Golden Globe-nominee Joel Edgerton), whose life unfolds during an era of unprecedented change in early 20th century America. Orphaned at a young age, Robert grows into adulthood among the towering forests of the Pacific Northwest, where he helps expand the nation's railroad empire alongside men as unforgettable as the landscapes they inhabit. After a tender courtship, he marries Gladys (Academy Award-nominee Felicity Jones) and they build a home together, though his work often takes him far from her and their young daughter. When his life takes an unexpected turn, Robert finds beauty, brutality and newfound meaning for the forests and trees he has felled.

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Critics Consensus

A gorgeous meditation on America, ably shouldered by one of Joel Edgerton's very best performances, Train Dreams takes on mythic proportions while maintaining an intimate emotional delicacy.

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Joe Engleman

Chicago Reader

It’s disappointing.

Nov 18, 2025

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Peter Rainer

Christian Science Monitor

A beautiful tone poem of a movie. I hesitate to say that only because it implies something woozy and precious. “Train Dreams” is anything but.

Nov 13, 2025

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David Fear

Rolling Stone

So many films make you feel, in hindsight, that no one else could have played those characters except the people who were cast. Edgerton gives you that sensation within the first 30 seconds of him being onscreen here.

Nov 12, 2025

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Nicholas Bell

Fish Jelly Films (YouTube)

Through destruction and unthinkable tragedy, Train Dreams transcends despair by highlighting the often overlooked interconnectedness of all creatures great and small...

Rated: 3.5/5

Nov 19, 2025

Full Review

Rebecca Murray

Showbiz Junkies

Director and co-writer Clint Bentley’s gorgeous adaptation of Denis Johnson’s Train Dreams novella is a deeply moving look at the beauty and brutality of the American frontier.

Rated: A

Nov 18, 2025

Full Review

Sean Collier

Pittsburgh Magazine

Visual majesty ... suffuses every frame of the film.

Rated: 10/10

Nov 18, 2025

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asq

Best film of 2025 and I see a lot of films

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

11/18/25

Full Review

Jeff

Incredibly beautiful.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

11/17/25

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Terry S

Incredibly saccharine & formulaic.

Rated 2 out of 5 stars

11/17/25

Full Review

Anita M

Liked that there wasn’t too much violence. It is very sad though.

Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars

11/16/25

Full Review

Pierre G

Good acting, especially from Joel Edgerton, but the story is quite thin - not much of one, really.

Rated 2.5 out of 5 stars

11/16/25

Full Review

Thais W

Loved the time frame, location, story , actors

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

11/15/25

Full Review

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Clint Bentley

Director

Joel Edgerton

Robert Grainier

Clifton Collins Jr.

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Felicity Jones

Gladys Grainier

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Train Dreams: Trailer 1

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Train Dreams: Teaser Trailer

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Synopsis

Based on the beloved novella by Denis Johnson, Train Dreams is the moving portrait of Robert Grainier (Golden Globe-nominee Joel Edgerton), whose life unfolds during an era of unprecedented change in early 20th century America. Orphaned at a young age, Robert grows into adulthood among the towering forests of the Pacific Northwest, where he helps expand the nation's railroad empire alongside men as unforgettable as the landscapes they inhabit. After a tender courtship, he marries Gladys (Academy Award-nominee Felicity Jones) and they build a home together, though his work often takes him far from her and their young daughter. When his life takes an unexpected turn, Robert finds beauty, brutality and newfound meaning for the forests and trees he has felled.

Director: Clint Bentley
Producer: Michael Heimler, Will Janowitz, Marissa McMahon, Ashley Schlaifer, Teddy Schwarzman
Screenwriter: Clint Bentley, Greg Kwedar
Distributor: Netflix
Production Co: Black Bear, Kamala Films
Rating: PG-13 (Some Violence and Sexuality)
Genre: Drama
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Nov 7, 2025, Limited
Release Date (Streaming): Nov 21, 2025
Runtime: 1h 42m

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