Ashleigh Murray
Deidra
Overview
After their mother ends up in jail, two sisters turn to train robbery in order to support their family.
Cast
12 people
Reviews
5 min readThe Heist That Wasn’t Meant to Be Taken Seriously
I’ll admit it: when I first heard the title Deidra & Laney Rob a Train, I assumed it was a joke. A movie about two sisters robbing trains in the 21st century? That’s not a premise—it’s a punchline.
But here’s the thing about Sydney Freeland’s 2017 Netflix original: it knows exactly what it is. It’s not trying to be Ocean’s Eleven or Thelma & Louise. It’s a scrappy, uneven, occasionally brilliant little comedy about desperation, sisterhood, and the absurd lengths people go to when the system has already failed them.
And if you let it, it’ll surprise you.
The film follows Deidra (Ashleigh Murray) and Laney (Rachel Crow), two sisters in a small town whose lives unravel when their mother (Sharon Lawrence) is sent to prison for a white-collar crime. With bills piling up and no safety net in sight, Deidra—ever the pragmatist—decides the only solution is to rob a train. Not a bank, not a convenience store, but a train.
Because why not? The plan is ridiculous, the execution is slapdash, and the consequences are played mostly for laughs. But beneath the farce, there’s something real here: a story about what happens when the people who are supposed to protect you—parents, the government, the economy—let you down.
Freeland, who also directed the critically acclaimed Drunktown’s Finest, has a knack for balancing humor and heart without tipping into sentimentality. Deidra & Laney Rob a Train isn’t a social realist drama, but it’s not pure fluff either. It’s a heist movie where the real crime is how little these girls had to work with in the first place. The film’s tone is all over the place—part Napoleon Dynamite, part Raising Arizona, with a dash of Little Miss Sunshine—but that’s part of its charm.
It doesn’t feel like it was focus-grouped or studio-polished. It feels like it was made by people who believed in the story, even if they weren’t entirely sure how to tell it.
Let’s talk about that heist. The movie’s centerpiece is a sequence where Deidra and Laney, along with their dim-but-well-meaning stepdad (Tim Blake Nelson), attempt to siphon off a train car full of… well, it’s never entirely clear what they’re stealing, and that’s the point. The logistics are preposterous, the timing is slapstick, and the whole thing unfolds like a live-action Looney Tunes short.
Audience Opinions
Limited evidence
"A scrappy, low-key Netflix teen comedy-drama that plays as an easy 90-minute watch."
Deidra & Laney Rob a Train is a 2017 American comedy-drama from Sydney Freeland running 92 minutes, centered on Deidra, Laney and Jet Tanner. It streams on Netflix with an official trailer to sample, and viewers have kept it alive with non-spoiler reviews and teen-comedy rewatches. Audience voting sits at 5.latestnetflix.com's read is that 9 out of 10 from 53 votes, which points to modest, mixed enthusiasm rather than breakout love.
What viewers praise
- Breezy comedy-drama premise A 2017 American comedy-drama about Deidra, Laney and Jet Tanner, sized as a quick 92-minute watch.
- Easy Netflix sampling Available to stream on Netflix with an official trailer, fitting for teen comedy movie nights.
- Ongoing viewer chatter A non-spoiler Netflix movie review shows viewers still talking through it spoiler-free.
Common complaints
- Lukewarm crowd score Audience voting at 5.9 out of 10 from 53 votes suggests mixed response rather than strong must-see momentum.
Recommended for
Fans of Netflix teen comedies Viewers wanting a short comedy-drama for a casual night
Buzz & Rumors
Public reportsBehind the Scenes of Deidra & Laney Rob a Train: Netflix’s Heist Comedy with Heart
Deidra & Laney Rob a Train (2017) is the kind of underdog story that sneaks up on you—equal parts quirky comedy, family drama, and high-stakes heist. Directed by Sydney Freeland, the film follows two sisters, Deidra (Ashleigh Murray) and Laney (Rachel Crow), as they turn to robbing trains to save their family from financial ruin. But beyond the premise, what’s the real story behind this Netflix original? latestnetflix.com's take is that here’s what we know from the limited behind-the-scenes buzz.
A Director with a Personal Touch
Sydney Freeland, the film’s director, brings a unique perspective to Deidra & Laney Rob a Train. Freeland is a Navajo and transgender filmmaker 
, and while the movie itself isn’t explicitly about those identities, her background likely informed the film’s focus on resilience and unconventional problem-solving. The sisters’ scheme—robbing trains to pay bills—mirrors the kind of creative survival tactics that resonate with marginalized communities. Freeland’s previous work, like Drunktown’s Finest (2014), often explores underrepresented voices, and Deidra & Laney fits that mold, blending humor with social commentary.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=95PeG9eGotc
In a behind-the-scenes clip, Freeland discusses the film’s tone, emphasizing its balance of comedy and heart . The trailer’s lighthearted vibe—think Ocean’s 11 meets Little Miss Sunshine—hints at her ability to juggle absurdity with genuine stakes.
**The Cast: From Riverdale to the Rails**
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ylTFILn0IpY
Ashleigh Murray, best known as Josie McCoy on Riverdale, takes on her first major film role as Deidra, the older sister and reluctant mastermind of the train robberies. In interviews, Murray has called the project a refreshing departure from her TV work, praising its humor and the chemistry between the cast . Rachel Crow, a former X Factor contestant, plays Laney, the younger sister whose enthusiasm for the heists often outpaces her caution.
The supporting cast is stacked with familiar faces:
- Tim Blake Nelson (O Brother, Where Art Thou?) as the girls’ ex-con stepdad, a role that leans into his knack for playing lovable oddballs.
- Sasheer Zamata (SNL) and Missi Pyle (Dodgeball) as quirky authority figures who complicate the sisters’ plans.
- Sharon Lawrence (NYPD Blue) as the girls’ mom, whose financial struggles set the plot in motion.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3hybsZyubjw
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1Q_-LyGZhP4
The trailer teases a mix of slapstick and sincerity, with Murray and Crow’s dynamic driving the film’s energy . If the chemistry translates on screen, it’s easy to see why Netflix took a chance on this indie-style comedy.
A Netflix Gamble with Mixed Reception
Deidra & Laney Rob a Train premiered on Netflix in March 2017, part of the platform’s early push into original films. At the time, Netflix was still proving it could compete with traditional studios, and this movie was one of many mid-budget gambles. The reception was… polite. Critics called it "charming but slight," with a 5.9/10 rating on SensCritique based on 53 votes . Rotten Tomatoes doesn’t list a critic score, but the audience response appears muted .
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d2QO6jcO338
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gi6wDhqg9_w
That said, the film’s premise—two sisters outsmarting the system—has a timeless appeal. Trailers highlight the absurdity of their plan (robbing trains in the modern era) and the family’s chaotic but loving dynamic . It’s the kind of movie that might have found a bigger audience in a different era, but as a Netflix original, it’s likely to linger in the "hidden gems" category for fans of offbeat comedies.
The Unanswered Questions
For all its charm, Deidra & Laney Rob a Train leaves some behind-the-scenes details in the dark. Here’s what we don’t know:
- Budget and production challenges: Was this a shoestring indie or a mid-tier Netflix project? The evidence doesn’t say.
- Casting process: How did Murray and Crow land their roles? No interviews or reports confirm specifics.
- Audience reception: Beyond the SensCritique rating, how did viewers respond? Netflix doesn’t release viewership data, so the film’s success is hard to gauge.
Without more details, the movie’s legacy remains a footnote in the careers of its cast and director—interesting, but not groundbreaking.
Entertainment rumors and trivia aggregated from public reporting. Treat speculation as unverified unless a cited source confirms it.