“One of the things I love about this life is there is no final goodbye. Instead it’s, ‘I’ll see you down the road’.”
After the financial collapse of 2008, a lot of US citizens were left homeless. NOMADLAND follows the down on her luck, Fern (Frances McDormand) as she sets out across the open road while living out of her van. What follows is an acting showcase for Frances McDormand, who is humbled by her situation yet too stubborn to settle down somewhere to fix it.
Chloé Zhao’s directing style isn’t for everyone. She mixes professional actors with real life pioneers who courageously paved their own trail. The results are occasionally poetic, especially in the scenes where McDormand is taught how to survive on the road.
Yet the majority of NOMADLAND is like a road trip that won’t end, leaving you to wonder, “are we there yet?”
It is available via VOD in February 2021.