2020 · 108 min · Drama
Nomadland is Chloé Zhao's haunting, poetic portrait of Fern, a woman in her 60s (Frances McDormand) who, after losing everything in the Great Recession, hits the road in her van to live as a modern nomad, working seasonal jobs across the American West. The film blends a fictional narrative with real nomads playing themselves, creating something that feels like documentary and elegy simultaneously. It swept the Oscars, BAFTA, and Golden Globes in 2021.
Nomadland is available on Hulu and Disney+.
Yes. Nomadland won Academy Awards for Best Picture, Best Director (Chloé Zhao), and Best Actress (Frances McDormand). It also swept the BAFTAs and Golden Globes.
Nomadland is based on Jessica Bruder's 2017 nonfiction book of the same name. The film's non-professional actors are real nomads who live this lifestyle — only Frances McDormand and David Strathairn are professional actors.
Nomadland is deliberately contemplative and lyrical rather than plot-driven. It is more of an experiential portrait than a conventional narrative. Viewers seeking action or story momentum may find it slow; those open to its meditative rhythms tend to find it profound.
Nomadland runs approximately 108 minutes.