Shot In New Mexico, 'Dreamland' Opens In Select Theaters

ACROSS NEW MEXICO (Nov. 13, 2020) — Filmed in New Mexico in 2017 and set in 1935 North Dakota, “Dreamland” tells the story of a teenage boy harboring a fugitive in his family's barn. Part thriller, part love story, the movie out in select theaters today is a memorable tribute to old-fashioned filmmaking, with stunning photography and a talented cast.

Gorgeous imagery of the Dust Bowl era West makes Miles Joris-Peyrafitte's film stand out. The score and story are strong, but it's the beautiful backdrop that truly sets this thriller apart. According to the New Mexico film office, the month-long 2017 production employed 100 New Mexico crew members, 18 New Mexico principal actors and approximately 225 local background talent, from Albuquerque to Belen.

Producer Margot Robbie plays Allison Wells, a bank robber on the run, hiding out in the little-used barn of the Abrams family. When imaginative teen Eugene (Finn Cole) finds her nursing a bullet wound from her latest heist, he sees an opportunity to turn her in and help his family's finances - or at least use the reward money to find his own way out. That is, until he sees that Allison could provide that escape herself.

At a time when we all feel we could use an escape from trying circumstances, Lyle Vincent’s cinematography allows the audience to travel in time and space to this particular place. Joris-Peyrafitte and screenwriter Nicolaas Zwart fill their wide frame with an entertaining story; Cole is even better here than in his role on "Peaky Blinders," and Robbie seems to adapt effortlessly to every role she plays. Told from the perspective of Eugene's sister Phoebe (Darby Camp), "Dreamland" feels like a film from a different era, with sweeping photography and a feeling of emotional desolation as deep as the Dust Bowl era.

What could have felt reminiscent of a rich work of literature is peppered with moments clearly meant to channel "Bonnie & Clyde." A notable bank robbery scene that sends the narrative into high gear was filmed at the historic Bank of Magdalena building in November 2017, the local Socorro County paper reported at the time.

The film premiered in April 2019 at the Tribeca Film Festival before finally finding a distributor who will release the film in select theaters today before digital platforms Nov. 17. Perhaps the delay in timing is fitting, as desperation and shut-downs increase nationwide as the coronavirus surges in the U.S.

"Dreamland" at times feels like it should play in flickering grayscale, a gem you might come across flipping past the Turner Classic Movies channel. Though it doesn't necessarily offer anything new, and isn't quite an instant classic, it's genuinely good; a mental break from the pain of the moment, to fall into the familiar pattern of old-fashioned filmmaking.