Dennis Dewall Reboards the Spy Genre with International Thriller ‘THE TRAIN’

Trains make for inherently cinematic settings: the claustrophobia, the momentum, the fact that you can’t just walk away when things go sideways. Dennis Dewall clearly knows this, and he’s using it to full effect in THE TRAIN, an espionage thriller that narrows his Spy Capital universe into the confined intensity of a luxury locomotive.

Dennis Dewall stars as Major Alex Stirling, a former SAS operative who finds himself in the middle of an intelligence turf war aboard the Majestic Imperator, a privately owned train carrying high-profile passengers through Central Europe. When rival intelligence services close in, what follows is a volatile mix of surveillance, manipulation, and direct confrontation. The train becomes a rolling battlefield where everyone’s watching everyone else, and nobody’s safe.

What separates this from standard action fare is the man behind the camera. Boris Volodarsky isn’t just a filmmaker. He’s a legitimate espionage authority who’s written extensively on KGB operations, Stalin’s intelligence apparatus, and high-profile political assassinations. That real-world credibility shows up in the film’s approach, lending THE TRAIN grounded authenticity that distinguishes it from more stylized espionage entries.

The cast pulls its weight. Madalina Bellariu Ion, who’s appeared in projects like THE YOUNG POPE and TAKE COVER, plays Natalie Krug, an operative who’s equal parts dangerous and magnetic. Anouk Auer holds her own as Stirling’s daughter Olivia, adding emotional weight to the high-stakes narrative. The ensemble rounds out with Peter Ormond, Alan Burgon, Martin Ploderer, Suzanne Grieger-Langer, Polina Kuleshova, and Nadine Grosinger, all contributing to the film’s international texture.

Dewall and his team shot across Vienna, London, Malta, Bangkok, Budapest, and Prague to capture authentic international locations. The action choreography, handled by martial arts expert Ali Kabalan, emphasizes physical realism. Dewall performs his own stunts, which adds weight to the physical confrontations and underscores the production’s commitment to authenticity.

THE TRAIN releases September 10, 2026 in Germany and Austria, with a London premiere and additional territories following a week later. Dewall’s emphasis on physical authenticity and real-world intelligence expertise positions THE TRAIN as a grounded entry in contemporary espionage cinema. Sometimes the best action happens when there’s nowhere left to run.