Train Dreams tells the story of an ordinary man in the most extraordinary way possible. Both magnificent and heartbreaking, the movie blends the joys, pains, and losses that one experiences in life. Based on Denis Johnson's acclaimed 2011 novella of the same name, the film was released on November 7, 2025, and has been widely praised for its beautiful storytelling. 

The movie has now dropped on Netflix. Featuring a talented cast, including a Golden Globe nominee, it is worth getting to know the ensemble that brought Dennis Johnson’s unforgettable characters to life.

A fan of Denis Johnson’s work, Joel Edgerton plays Robert Grainier, a logger in the early 20th‑century Pacific Northwest, experiencing life, love, and loss. Academy Award‑nominated Felicity Jones stars as Gladys Grainier in the movie Train Dreams. Gladys is Robert’s wife, who manages the homestead while he spends long hours working on the railroads.

Other characters also play crucial roles in the film, such as Kerry Condon plays Claire Thompson, while William H. Macy plays Arn Peeples. Nathaniel Arcand (Ignatius Jack), Alfred Hsing (Fu Sheng), and Will Patton (narrator) are also part of the movie.

The story of Train Dreams follows Grainier as he experiences quiet joys, solitude, and the shifting world around him while tending to the land and railroads. Grainier is an ordinary man, but his story in the movie begins to feel extraordinary.

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While the characters are at the heart of the movie, its soul lies in the writing by Clint Bentley and his co-writer Kwedar.

Clint Bentley read Train Dreams during his time in college and became deeply drawn to Denis Johnson’s writing, reading nearly everything the author published. Years later, that early admiration came full circle for the director when he got the chance to be part of the movie, Train Dreams.

Turning Train Dreams into a film was no small feat, but director Bentley and co-writer Kwedar were up for the challenge. Both approached Denis Johnson’s novella, knowing that it would require nuance.

They spent time in a cabin along the river where the protagonist, Robert Grainier, would have lived. They met local loggers and descendants of logging families to understand the life of a logger. Bentley and Kwedar’s approach was an attempt to strike a balance, ensuring the movie remained true to the spirit of Dennis Johnson’s novella while allowing it to breathe as its own work of art. The result is a deeply moving film.

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Have you watched Train Dreams? Let us know your thoughts in the comments section.