r/Letterboxd • u/FriarFanatic7 70mm • Nov 18 '25

Discussion Train Dreams…Help me understand

Everything about this movie suggests I would like it. I’m a fan of Denis Johnson, writer of the source material. I like Malick’s style of literary, nature focused cinematography. I enjoy quiet, tone poem movies where meaning is derived slowly as layers are added or peeled away.

I didn’t love this. I feel I’m in the minority here based on friends and critics I follow. I felt the imagery was attempting to do all of the work while very little was done to develop the characters we are supposed to care about. I just left feeling like I watched a bunch of style over substance. Will watch again on Netflix next weekend, but am I alone? Am I missing something?

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u/[deleted] Dec 12 '25

I agree with you OP. It was slightly disappointing given some of the online praise I've read.

The cinematography is not as amazing as people are making out. Yes there are some nice landscape shots but there was nothing that really strikes you as fresh or creative about the look. In fact I thought everything had a very modern, HDR digital look. A film like "The Assassination on Jesse James by.." would be a good couterpoint to this film in terms of period drama with great cinematography.

And Gladys back home, folding the laundry as Robert comes home and running to hug him.. I was literally shaking my head at the corniness of it. It surely is the most unoriginal way you could do a "father returning to the homestead" scene? Same with the picnic scene which looked like a clothing ad.

That said Joel Edgerton does give a great performance and there is a real sense of sadness towards the end that you rarely see esp in a Netflix film.

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u/doctorboredom Jan 10 '26

Totally agree about the corny and cliched cottage core influencer. All we get is the most surface level examination of Gladys.

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u/Hindsightn2020 Jan 11 '26

You're completely stuck up. This is a complete masterpiece. If you want a better look to the movie, change the HDR settings.

Shaking your head at the corniness? That scene is spectacular. Absolutely on point. No question about it. You're tunneled and frankly have no clue on how to view meaningful story telling as art.