Out of the ten movies nominated for Best Picture at this year’s Academy Awards, the big prize will likely come down to either Sinners or One Battle After Another.
Netflix is fortunate enough to have two contenders among this year’s films, Frankenstein and Train Dreams.
As much as we love Guillermo del Toro‘s monster flick, Train Dreams is Watch With Us‘ pick for the one 2026 Oscar-nominated movie that you need to watch.
If there’s one movie that might pull off the Oscar upset and beat the frontrunners, this is it. And we’ll tell you why.
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‘Train Dreams’ Has Stunningly Beautiful Visuals
Train Dreams has a lot more going for it than just the visuals, but we’d be remiss if we didn’t point out how beautifully shot this film is. Director and co-writer Clint Bentley fills the screen with jaw-dropping depictions of life on the railroad frontier in the early 20th century. There may have been some digital trickery here and there to remove things that signify our present. But for the most part, this film very convincingly presents itself as a look back at the way America appeared over 100 years ago.
This is the kind of movie that would have played even better on the big screen than it does on Netflix, although some lucky moviegoers got to experience that for it to qualify for the Oscars. Among this film’s four Oscar nominations, Adolpho Veloso is up for Best Cinematography. Quite frankly, that’s the award that this movie has the best chance of winning.
Joel Edgerton Gives the Performance of a Lifetime
The film covers several decades in the life of Robert Grainier (Joel Edgerton), a railroad worker who isn’t always the most talkative guy. That’s in part because the narrator (Will Patton) does a lot of the talking in place of Robert’s inner monologue. The amazing thing is how much Edgerton is able to convey about Robert through his eyes, face and body language. It’s an incredibly expressive performance, so much so that you may forget that Edgerton is keeping his mouth shut for extended periods.
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Edgerton also conveys a deeply emotional side of Robert during his scenes with Gladys Olding (Felicity Jones), the woman who later becomes his wife. Their love feels vital and strong, even when they aren’t on-screen together. There are a handful of other characters that Robert meets and befriends, but Gladys is the one who leaves the biggest impact through her presence and her absence.
The Film Has a Haunting Quality That Stays Long After It’s Over
It would be a mistake to spoil certain aspects of the story, especially when they hit with such an emotional punch. For now, all we’ll say is that Train Dreams lingers with its viewers, especially in the aftermath of tragedy. William H. Macy and Kerry Condon both have great supporting performances as Arn Peeples and Claire Thompson, respectively. But it’s the words and perspective of Arn that have real power.
This isn’t a ghost story, but something is haunting Robert, and it never fully goes away. In another year, this could have been a No. 1 contender for Best Picture. But the consolation prize is that Train Dreams will be remembered as one of the best movies Netflix has ever made.
Train Dreams is streaming on Netflix.
