Rating summary

Movie		2.5
Video		4.5
Audio		4.0
Extras		0.0
Overall		3.0

Dreamland Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Martin Liebman January 20, 2021

Dreamland is a film about a search for meaning and a better life in a world where underhanded dealings, criminal activity, and breaking the rules seem to be the only means of escape. The film is set in depression-era America where money is tight, rain has not fallen in a year, and massive dust storms threaten to destroy everything from homes to livelihoods. It's a film of grim possibilities but a flicker of hope when glamorized criminality becomes a real possibility for a character who has struggled to find meaning, place, and purpose his entire life. The film, from Director Miles Joris-Peyrafitte, does not explore with the depth the material perhaps deserves but does build a narrative steeped in era-specific context that by proxy builds its characters and story inside an essential framework of desperation amidst destitution and demoralization.

Eugene (Finn Cole), fatherless from five, has sought to fill a void that has come to define him. He’s only received a single postcard from his father who claims to have found “The Eye of God” on Mexico’s Gulf Coast. His dream is to find it, and his father. But a downturned economy, crippling dust storms, and ceaseless drought have prohibited him from gaining the footing he needs to leave the place and discover his past, and himself, and escape a surely failing future. He finds solace in the pages of pulp magazines and stories focused on outlaws, those rising above poverty and circumstance through illegal, illicit, and ill-advised criminal activity. He’s enticed by a $10,000 reward for the capture of a notorious bank robber and murderer named Allison Wells (Margot Robbie). But when he finds Allison hiding in the family barn, wounded and exhausted, he tends to her wound and finds himself curiously drawn to her and to her lifestyle. She promises Eugene the escape he’s always wanted to Mexico and a $20,000 reward – double the bounty on her head – if he aids her in her freedom. As he frets over and wrestles with the possibilities of living the life he’s always dreamed of, he must decide how much he can sacrifice – of his family, of himself – to steal away with an outlaw and, just maybe, find the Eye of God in the eye of the coming storm.

Dreamland is not a crime spree adventure but rather a character study, pitting dreams against reality and eventually the intersection of them, as well the consequences of the choice to remain stagnant or step out in faith with a high probability of failure. Eugene wants more, but for him “more” is an opportunity at self-discovery. He craves information about his father and he yearns for a more glamorous life, even if that life comes with a societal stigma and a personal price. The lingering question through the film, as Eugene weighs his opportunities, is how he will respond to either decision, to remain where he is or blaze forward with Allison at his side. The film does a fair job capturing that inward battle, and much of the film – the first two acts – are devoted to the task of weighing his pros and cons.

Finn Cole can’t quite muster the acting ability to reveal the wrestling inside with the sort of depth the story demands, and neither can Writer Nicolaas Zwart nor Director Miles Joris-Peyrafitte find the full potential of the inward struggle. While the film digs into the essence of the man, it doesn’t quite reach deeply into the soul. There’s a superficiality at play, just not enough narrative might and story writing muscle or acting prowess to explore Eugene’s struggles in his past and present and the doubts on his future. There’s not much chemistry with Robbie, either, who is excellent in her part which is more of a propellant for Eugene and less a difference maker in the movie in her own right.

Dreamland Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Dreamland was obviously shot digitally which might be an aesthetically odd choice for a film which takes place in depression-era America. A grittier, grainer look might have been more texturally appropriate, but the smooth, clean digital workflow at least delivers a richly detailed and very clean viewing experience. Close-ups are often sublime, revealing skin details for better or for worse, allowing audiences to gaze upon pores and hairs with all the definition this format can muster. There are some very nice environmental textures in play, particularly some of the well worn depression era home interiors where chipped paint, grime, dust, and other signs of neglect are readily apparent, all vital in transmitting the era's realities which underline the story's essential beats. Crisp, sun-drenched exteriors are likewise tack-sharp throughout. Colors are neutral under the film's semi-glossy façade. The picture offers satisfying color bursts to natural greens but often favors an earthy, downtrodden look where beiges and browns reflect the depressed era and dusty realities in which the characters live. Nighttime black levels have a slight look of paleness, never holding resolutely true but usually bumping right up against perfect. Noise is kept in check and no other source or encode flaws are to be found. The film looks very good on Blu-ray.

Dreamland Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

Though limited to the traditional 5.1 channels rather than the extra heft of a 7.1 track or the additions of top speakers in an Atmos configuration, Paramount's Dolby TrueHD lossless track still manages to convey a full and satisfying listen, recreating the barren, depressed world of the film's era with noteworthy accuracy and immersion. Windswept locales and bass-intensive dust storms – including one of particularly noteworthy potency in chapter nine -- alike deliver full stage engagement and draw the listener into the terrifying reality of the suffocating dust sweeping into the stage and practically into the lungs. These are dramatic moments and dynamic audio cues that highlight this track. Lively Bluegrass music offers festive notes and tight detail, as well as pleasant front-side spread and mild surround integration, halfway through the film in a key scene when Eugene makes a move to set his future with Allison into motion. Score is likewise well defined and generously spaced. A few gunshots ring out with appropriate punch. Dialogue drives most of the film and its presentation is never a handicap for the soundtrack. It's well prioritized, detailed in a lifelike manner, and remains firmly planted in the front-center channel.

Dreamland Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

This Blu-ray release of Dreamland contains no supplemental content. The static menu screen includes the same image found on the Blu-ray front cover artwork. Only options for "Play," "Settings," and "Scenes" are included. No DVD copy is included, either, but Paramount does ship this disc with a digital copy voucher and a non-embossed slipcover.

Dreamland Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

Dreamland introduces a compelling set-up within a world ripe for subtext, but the film stumbles because of a middling lead performance, questionable chemistry between the leads, and a general absence of firmer footing for the story. The film does thrive on quality production design and its base story essentials are enough to warrant a watch, but this is not the film it could have been. Paramount's featureless Blu-ray delivers quality technical presentations. Worth a rental.