Nomadland

Cinephile deep dive

The take

Chloé Zhao directs. Joshua James Richards behind the camera. Ludovico Einaudi scores. Chloé Zhao cuts. Made its budget back several times over at the box office. Produced in United States of America. Dialogue in English.

Trivia

Things worth knowing

• 1Made its money back 7.9× over at the box office.
• 2Released 5 years ago.
• 3Directed by Chloé Zhao, shot by Joshua James Richards. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.
• 4Original score by Ludovico Einaudi. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.
• 5Editor Chloé Zhao shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.
• 6Frances McDormand and David Strathairn and Linda May carry the top of the cast.
• 7Marketing tagline: "See you down the road.".
• 8IMDB entry: tt9770150 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.
• 9Classified under 18 themes, including "factory worker", "van", "based on novel or book", "nevada".

The technical file

Cinematography

Joshua James Richards

Original score

Ludovico Einaudi

Editing

Chloé Zhao

Production design

Joshua James Richards

Costume design

Hannah Peterson

Sound

Sergio Díaz

Runtime

108 min · 1h 48m

Aspect ratio (typical)

1.37:1 (Academy)

Status

Released

Budget

$5,000,000

Box office

$39,458,207

Return

789% of budget

Original language

EN

Certification (US)

R

IMDB

Nomadland (2021) ↗

Also by

Chloé Zhao

• 
  Hamnet

  2025 · ★ 7.7
• 
  The Rider

  2018 · ★ 7.3
• 
  Songs My Brothers Taught Me

  2015 · ★ 6.9
• 
  Eternals

  2021 · ★ 6.7
• 
  Daughters

  2010 · ★ 5.0
• 
  The Atlas Mountains

  2009 · ★ 1.0

Stills · wallpapers

Selected frames

Full-resolution frames — open one to save it as a wallpaper.

Wallpaper Wallpaper Wallpaper Wallpaper

Trailers & featurettes

Watch the pieces

• 

  ▶
  Fern and Frances

  Behind the Scenes · Official
• 

  ▶
  Frances McDormand Wins Best Actress

  Featurette · Official
• 

  ▶
  "Nomadland" Wins Best Picture

  Featurette · Official
• 

  ▶
  Chloé Zhao Wins Best Directing

  Featurette · Official
• 

  ▶
  Nomadland Wins Best Film

  Featurette · Official
• 

  ▶
  Frances McDormand Wins Leading Actress for Nomadland

  Featurette · Official

Community reviews

What people are saying

• SWITCH.2021-01-09
  ★ 8/10

  It says so much that these nomads, who have chosen to commit to this life of freedom, do so with so little. While those who have stripped them of their livelihoods carelessly enjoy the horrors of excess, a single plate or a tyre full of air become objects to treasure. The purpose of life is not in what we physically possess but what we possess in our hearts, the people we see and the sights we see. The indescribable magic of Chloé Zhao's work is that it speaks both to the pain and the glory of being alive, not in some imagined way but in its actuality. 'Nomadland' is an extraordinary film from an extraordinary artist with extraordinary stories to tell, and you can't help but feel that same call of the open road and the vastness of the sky, to leave the chaos and confusion of the modern world behind and be one with the world, both the one around us and the world within us. Being alive can break your heart, but my god, it can also be so beautiful. - Daniel Lammin Read Daniel's full article... https://www.maketheswitch.com.au/article/review-nomadland-the-extraordinary-chloe-zhao-delivers-another-american-classic

  Read full review ↓
• Peter McGinn2021-02-08
  ★ 9/10

  I watched this because of Frances McDormand and David Strathairn, and I was surprised to find they are the only actors really. There are a lot of rolls filled by actual ca,pers and travelers. This movie is definitely a slow burner. If you aren’t used to quiet, slice of life movies , you may find it to be slow going.it is a character study, but with many characters s. A lot of people with real stories pass through the main character’s life. She helps them or they help her, and everyone moves on.

  Read full review ↓
• Manuel São Bento2021-02-28
  ★ 8/10

  If you enjoy reading my Spoiler-Free reviews, please follow my blog @ https://www.msbreviews.com As of this article's date, Nomadland has already received countless nominations for basically every ceremony that honors movies in some shape or form. This includes Chloé Zao (The Rider, Songs My Brothers Taught Me), who has also been nominated for the director and screenplay categories, gaining tremendous support from the film community since female directors are rarely recognized for their magnificent work - Emerald Fennell (Promising Young Woman) and Regina King (One Night in Miami) are also in the game this year. Despite never watching the two previous movies of Zao's career, I did know about her filmmaking style being very connected to reality and authenticity, not letting the typical Hollywood-isms impact her vision. If there's something that definitely proves her remarkable commitment to achieve that realism is the hiring of non-actors to participate in her films. Throughout Nomadland, several real people tell their story, explaining why they became real-life nomads and offering an enriching, inspirational perspective of life. This is, by far, the most captivating, emotionally compelling aspect of the movie. Learning who these people are and what drives them is incredibly enlightening, shattering wrong, terrible stereotypes that should have no place in our world. With so many outstanding deliveries from the non-actors, I'm absolutely sure some of the interactions between Frances McDormand's character and the real-life nomads are unscripted. In fact, there's a clear documentary style associated with this film. From Joshua James Richards' on-the-ground, gorgeous cinematography to the well-structured editing work (also done by Zao), the narrative holds a superficially uneventful, observant storytelling that many viewers will find tiresome and boring, which is completely understandable. It's hard to deny that the screenplay is pretty much based on following McDormand in an RV through the American West, watching her meet new people, working in a couple of different jobs, and that's really it. If people go into this movie expecting mind-blowing developments and Earth-shaking revelations, all will leave extremely disappointed. It's a slow-paced, somewhat repetitive film told through Zao's unique vision, which is the key aspect that makes this movie work so well. Her astonishing dedication to delivering such a grounded depiction of a particular lifestyle elevates the overall piece. Technically, I already addressed that the film is beautifully shot, but Ludovico Einaudi's score is tear-inducing on its own. With heartfelt piano tracks, Einaudi's music plays during the most stunning landscapes, helping those moments to induce the viewers to enter an introspection-like state of mind. Zao's screenplay is packed with underlying themes, but the diverse, impactful views on what it means to live and how to deal with grief and personal traumas grabbed my attention the most. Despite all that I wrote above, Nomadland is highly performance-driven. Frances McDormand carries this movie with yet another powerful display to add to her already impressive career. Her reactions in every single conversation that she has with the non-actors seem to come from McDormand herself and not from her character, Fern. Speaking of her, Fern is an amazingly likable character, the absolute definition of what it means to be a good person. Following such a protagonist makes the extremely long journey a bit lighter. Every non-actor is absolutely perfect. I have nothing but overwhelming respect for them and the life they chose to live. I don't expect the general public to love this film, but I'd love to see the viewers trying to figure out what makes it so special. Many spectators will finish their viewing and think this is just another "technical feature" that only gets praises from critics. I sincerely wish that viewers would ask themselves why they didn't enjoy a movie as much as other people and research about it. Learn about what makes the film so inspiring and such great storytelling. Yes, it's heavily philosophical, its pacing could have been better controlled, and it doesn't really have massive surprises or significant events. But if it possesses a lot more than what it's at the surface, then investigate, read a little bit about what went into creating this movie, and maybe - just maybe - it will become a more enjoyable watch. Nomadland offers a contemplative, enlightening, touching story about a nomad's life, starring real-life people that make this film much more special. Chloé Zao's unique, passionate vision and her outstanding dedication to authenticity are more than enough characteristics deserving of dozens of nominations. Gorgeous cinematography and a lovely score tremendously elevate the movie, creating the perfect atmosphere for thoughtful storytelling. Some pacing issues and an uneventful narrative based heavily on merely accompanying the protagonist through her journey negatively affect the film's overall enjoyment, which will definitely leave some viewers disappointed. Frances McDormand carries the movie on her shoulders with another commanding performance to add to her remarkable career. However, the spotlight goes to the real-life nomads who participated in this beautiful project, sharing personal stories filled with valuable perspectives on so many themes related to life and ways of living it. A worthy contender for the awards season. Rating: B+

  Read full review ↓

Production companies

Who made it

• CO

  Cor Cordium Productions

  US

• HE

  Hear/Say Productions

  US

• HI

  Highwayman Films

  US

Key crew

• BookJessica Bruder
• ProducerChloé Zhao
• ProducerFrances McDormand
• ProducerDan Janvey
• ProducerMollye Asher
• Art DirectionElizabeth Godar
• EditorChloé Zhao
• Consulting ProducerJessica Bruder
• Co-ProducerEmily Foley
• Co-ProducerGeoff Linville
• Production DesignJoshua James Richards
• Costume DesignHannah Peterson
• Co-ProducerTaylor Shung
• Unit Production ManagerMary Kerrigan
• First Assistant DirectorMary Kerrigan
• Set CostumerEmma Hannaway
• Location ManagerNathan Harrison
• Assistant Art DirectorKaili Corcoran
• Set DresserMadison Pflug
• Art Department AssistantDerek Endres
• First Assistant CameraCharles Bae
• Second Assistant CameraMark Daniel Quintos
• Camera Department Production AssistantSierra Ellis
• Digital Imaging TechnicianMax Sun

Themes & keywords

What it's about, really

• factory worker
• van
• based on novel or book
• nevada
• recession
• homelessness
• road trip
• unemployment
• recreational vehicle
• road movie
• death of husband
• western usa
• woman director
• nomad
• reflective
• late stage capitalism
• intimate
• comforting

Release history · US

When it landed

• Premiere2020-09-26· New York Film Festival
• Premiere2020-09-11· Telluride Film Festival
• Theatrical (limited)2021-01-29R· IMAX
• Theatrical2021-02-19R
• Digital2020-12-04R· Film at Lincoln Center Virtual Cinema
• Digital2021-02-19R· Hulu

Also known as

International titles

• 浪跡天地HK
• 无依之地CN
• Nomadland: Sobreviver na AméricaBR
• 노매드랜드KR
• Göçebe DiyarıTR
• سرزمین خانه‌به‌دوش‌هاIR
• Земля кочівниківUA