Netflix film “Train Dreams”, which unfortunately did not get a chance for theatrical release in South Korea before eventually being released on Netflix on last Friday, is a mesmerizing work of poetic atmosphere and details to be appreciated. Clearly influenced a lot by those meditative works of Terrence Malick such as “The Tree of Life” (2011), the movie engages and then touches us with its sublime visual qualities, and it is certainly something worthwhile to be experienced in my inconsequential opinion.

The movie mainly revolves around the life of a man named Robert Grainer (Joel Edgerton), who became an orphan not long after he was born around the 1880s and then was sent to a rural town in Idaho. He had to work for earning his living even when he was just a young boy, and the narration by Will Patton phlegmatically tells us how aimless his life has been for next several years before he happens to encounter a young woman named Gladys Olding (Felicity Jones). Although their first meeting was rather awkward at first, it does not take much time for both of them to get attracted to each other, and they become married in the end.

Of course, after they settle at a spot outside the town and build a little cabin for them and their little daughter, Grainer certainly has to work more and harder for supporting not only himself but also his dear family. At one point early in the story, he joins a bunch of guys working on the construction of a new railroad, and he comes to befriend some of them, but then he witnesses one Chinese worker killed by several white dudes for no apparent reason. Even though he actually tried to stop that, Grainer cannot help but feel guilty about that, and he subsequently finds himself often haunted by what seems to be the ghost of that dead Chinese worker.

Anyway, Grainer later works as a logger instead, but death seems to follow him steadily as he fears. While he and his co-workers are certainly well aware of the constant risks surrounding their work environment, there are always fatal accidents here and there. In case of one supposedly God-fearing dude, death comes upon him in quite an unexpected way, and there is a little morbid sense of humor from how the camera calmly observes this shocking incident from the distance.

At least, his wife and their little daughter have remained as the light of his life for Grainer. He always feels happy whenever he returns to his cabin where Gladys and their little daughter are waiting for him, and the movie often conveys his little joy and happiness with his family to us via a series of lyrical moments to remember. As cinematographer Adolpho Veloso vividly captures intimate human moments as well as natural beauty on his camera, we get more immersed into Grainer’s humble but happy life, and his inner peace is often accentuated by the simple but effective score by Bryce Dessner.

Not so surprisingly, as Patton’s narration announces to us in advance, Grainer’s happiness does not last that long. Just like the main characters of Malick’s great film “Days of Heaven” (1978), Grainer suddenly loses his little private heaven due to a happening totally beyond his control when he is about to pursue a more stable life along with his family. Quite devastated to say the least, he goes through a lot of emotional upheaval as he struggles to recover during next several years, and he naturally comes to have a lot of questions on his life and its meaning.

Firmly maintaining its tranquil attitude, the movie, which is based on the novella of the same name by Denis Johnson, seems to be simply rolling its hero along its somber narrative on the surface, but the adapted screenplay by director Clint Bentley and his co-writer Greg Kwedar comes to show much more sensitivity and thoughtfulness in the end. While a number of various characters just come and go around Grainer throughout the story, many of them leave some indelible human impression to reflect on, and there is a particularly haunting moment early in the film when Grainer comes to have a little talk with a much older worker. This old man turns out to be a bit more perceptive than he seems at first, and his scenes with Grainer resonate with when Grainer meets some other older dude later in the story.

Bentley, who previously directed “Jockey” (2021) and recently co-produced and co-wrote Kwedar’s Oscar-nominated film “Sing Sing” (2023), also drew stellar natural performances from his cast members. Joel Edgerton, who is no stranger to playing taciturn but sensitive tough guys as shown from Jeff Nichols’ Oscar-nominated film “Loving” (2016), effortlessly slips into his character right from the very first scene of his in the movie, and the result is another terrific performance to be added to his admirable movie acting career. Even though he does not signify much on the whole, Edgerton’s nuanced acting always speaks volumes to us on whatever his character feels or thinks, and that is one of the main reasons why the movie keeps us engaged to the end.

Around Edgerton, several other main cast members have each own moment to shine. While Felicity Jones brings some precious warmth to her several scenes with Edgerton, William H. Macy reminds us again of how he has always been dependable during last several decades, and Kerry Condon, who has been more notable thanks to her Oscar-nominated supporting turn in Martin McDonagh’s “The Banshees of Inisherin” (2022), is also wonderful during her brief but crucial appearance later in the film.

On the whole, “Train Dreams” is surely one of those arthouse movies which will require you some patience from the beginning, but it is quite a rewarding experience thanks to its superb mood, storytelling, and performance. Although it is a shame that I watched it at my home instead of movie theater, I can say at least that it is definitely one of the highlights of this year, and I think you should really check it out as soon as possible.