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Train Dreams’ Draws Strong Reviews Ahead of Netflix Streaming on Nov. 21

Reviewers debate changes to Denis Johnson’s novella.

Overview

  • The Clint Bentley–directed adaptation, co-written with Greg Kwedar and starring Joel Edgerton as Robert Grainier, is in a limited theatrical run before arriving on Netflix on Nov. 21.
  • Critics single out Edgerton’s restrained, deeply felt performance, with several calling it his most fully realized work.
  • Coverage praises the film’s craft, noting Adolpho Veloso’s boxy 3:2 cinematography and Bryce Dessner’s score with an end-credits song co-written with Nick Cave.
  • Several reviews highlight shifts from Denis Johnson’s novella that soften harsher impulses and alter moral complexity, prompting debate about the adaptation’s choices.
  • With its festival pedigree, high-caliber cast and original song, some critics see the film entering awards-season conversations.