Sometimes films touch on important subjects in unimportant ways. Often that subject becomes a plot device or something to frame whatever narrative they want to share. It can be a turnoff for viewers and derail even a well-crafted narrative.

That’s the case with Dreams, a new film from writer/director Michel Franco that opens wide on Friday, February 27. The film touches on an important subject—immigration—but uses it as more of a plot device. Unfortunately, the plot it services isn’t worthy of exploration.

The film begins with a border crossing. Fernando (Isaac Hernandez) is making his way from Mexico into California. He makes it all the way to San Francisco, where he arrives at the home of Jennifer McCarthy (Jessica Chastain). And she’s both happy and alarmed to see him.

Jennifer is a wealthy socialite who works with her brother (Rupert Friend) and father (Marshall Bell). Part of their work has taken her to Mexico City, where her foundation helps run a ballet academy. That’s where she met Fernando, a talented dancer and teacher. They fell in love, and now Fernando has risked it all to get to the United States for their romance and for a better life.

But his presence puts Jennifer in a bind. Turns out Fernando’s family in Mexico and her family in the United States aren’t in favor of their relationship. She’s also worried that his presence will disrupt her life and business, as well as putting her in potential legal trouble. Fernando, meanwhile, finds that while U.S. companies appreciate his skill, he’ll never totally fit in given his current status.

Predictably, Fernando ends up back in Mexico. But can he and Jennifer make the relationship work? Does she even want it to work?

Franco has delivered some interesting films in the past—including Memory, which featured Chastain. I enjoyed the themes, performances, and exploration in that film, so I was curious to see what they could do in another partnership. But this film falls flat thanks to the story and the characters.

Neither Fernando nor Jennifer are good people. They don’t seem like a good match, either. It’s hard to see what they want from a relationship or each other, but it’s clear they aren’t on the same page. In fact, the film is called Dreams and yet it feels devoid of any real dreams or vision of the future for these characters.

Instead, by the third act, we get a nasty back-and-forth as both hurt and manipulate each other to presumably get what they want. Though why they want it, or why they’d want to be with each other, is never clear. Perhaps it’s the decision to start with the relationship in media res that’s part of the problem. We didn’t see them fall in love. We don’t understand the relationship. And worse yet, there is no chemistry.

I found this to be something of a confused mess. I like Chastain as a performer, but she’s not given enough to do here. The ending is also abrupt and unsatisfying. Overall, I’m not sure what the film is trying to accomplish, but it certainly doesn’t get anywhere worthwhile.

Dreams opens in theaters on Friday.

Matthew Fox is a graduate of the Radio, Television and Film program at Biola University, and a giant nerd. He spends his free time watching movies, TV, and obsessing about football. He is a member of the FSWA. You can find him @knighthawk7734 on Twitter and as co-host of the Fantasy Football Roundtable Podcast.