Dreamland (2020) | Film Review

As filmgoers, many of us have lived vicariously through the misdeeds of mischievous or even downright diabolical characters for eons. That is the beauty of fictional storytelling in any form: allowing a person to participate in events without crossing the line into criminal actions themselves. It has been a cherished pastime for generations, and in Dreamland, our lead character is teetering on broaching this threshold of reality.

It’s 1935 in a tiny Texas town under siege by a continuing depression coupled with a seemingly never-ending drought. Eugene Evans (Finn Cole) was abandoned by his father at a young age, leaving the boy to grow up pining for excitement by admiring while simultaneously admonishing the actions of the era’s criminals. His story is told via voice-over narration from his half-sister Phoebe, as she explains the fate of her brother once he crosses paths with the infamous bank robber, Allison Wells (Margot Robbie).

Eugene finds Allison holed up in his parents’ barn – mother Olivia (Kerry Condon) and his deputy stepfather George (Travis Fimmel) – and nursing a bullet hole in the leg. Initially planning to turn her in to collect the $10,000 bounty, Eugene finds himself smitten with Allison and eventually even warming up to the prospects of joining her on a trek to Mexico where they can live as banditos on the lam. With her questionable promise of $20,000 on hand for incentive.

Visually, director Miles Joris-Peyrafitte and cinematographer Lyle Vincent perfectly capture the majestic desperation of a bleak Texas landscape amidst dire circumstances. Every shot cascading across any landscape is sweeping in grandeur and a harsh foreboding. The aesthetics to shooting this period piece infuses Eugene’s story with a sense of our own understanding, the bitter Texas backdrop assisting the audience with coming to terms with exactly why Eugene chooses the path he’s on. This character accessory proves necessary because the characters, though engaging, could stand to be a bit more fleshed out on the page.

Finn Cole does an affable job as the lead, meshing wild-eyed innocence with an underlying thirst for danger. As the film slowly builds, so does his character’s confidence and arc, and the actor morphs into a bit of a scamp. Especially as the relationship between Eugene and George begins to take center stage (Fimmel does much with his limited screen time, and is always a welcome asset to any production). Several moments in the final act, hints of that late 80s Christian Slater sardonic glee comes shining through his eyes and we finally see both Eugene and Cole’s full potential.

While Cole does eventually get there, Margot Robbie is as indisputably enrapturing as ever. Very few actresses of today can so exquisitely dominate a frame with nary a hint of dialogue or character development as Margot Robbie does. The moment Allison is discovered in the barn, we completely relate to Eugene’s change of heart and circumstance despite the obvious question of Allison’s true allegiance as the film rolls. Robbie’s Allison emulates the gloss and allure of the life of a bank robber, providing exactly what Eugene and the audience needs to justify the potential abandonment of family and all that he holds dear in his heart.

The third act of Dreamland does stumble a bit as screenwriter Nicolaas Zwart works a bit too hard bringing every storyline careening into each other, but that does not take away from a beautifully shot and enjoyable ride through the mind of a wannabe gangster. A visual anyone partaking in fiction can easily rally behind.

Follow our further discussion on Dreamland via this episode of The Hollywood Outsider podcast: