Movie review
November 5, 2025 · 102 min · PG-13
Woke Score
Lower is better
Review
Quiet logger’s life story from Denis Johnson’s novella—love, wildfire loss, grief in early-1900s Northwest. Film weaves in historical racism (white mob kills Chinese worker), environmental destruction by railroads/logging, and subtle capitalism critique. Director Clint Bentley has said he wanted those threads. Still mostly a poetic character study on one ordinary man, not lectures or identity swaps. Some conservatives spotted “shoehorned” modern parallels early on, but it’s not preachy propaganda and got almost zero mainstream woke backlash. Noticeable themes, yet easy to watch as straight drama.
Breakdown
These are the editorial factors and ratings behind our score for Train Dreams.
Woke representation / casting
Supporting Indigenous actor Nathaniel Arcand fits historical Northwest setting; no forced swaps or emphasis.
Woke political dialogue
Subtle, historical—not modern soapbox speeches.
Identity-driven story themes
Racism incident is real to the era/book but lingers as guilt motif.
Western institutional / cultural critique
Environmental destruction and capitalist “progress” threaded throughout per director intent.
Woke character or canon changes
Mostly faithful novella adaptation; minor additions for film.
Anti-woke backlash and complaints
Fringe conservative notes only; no big backlash.
Creator track record context
Mild humanistic/social lean from Sing Sing, but aligns with source material here.
Production
