Nomadland Review: 9 Ups & 1 Down

Chloé Zhao's third film lives up to the hype.

By Jack Pooley /

Searchlight Pictures

Without question one of the most anticipated films of the year, Chloé Zhao's (The Rider) new drama Nomadland has been a wildly buzzed-about Oscar contender ever since it won the prestigious Golden Lion at the Venice Film Festival.

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The film follows the travels of a widowed 60-year-old woman, Fern (Frances McDormand), who upon losing her home after the Great Recession of '08 decides to become a nomad, travelling across the American West while living in her van.

And as much as many early festival faves end up burning out long before Oscar night, it's tough to imagine a film of Nomadland's firm power losing much of its lustre, even with the 2021 Academy Awards being pushed to April 25th.

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But away from all the awards chatter, Zhao's new film is a gorgeously lived-in piece of work that boasts one of the strongest performances of Frances McDormand's inestimable career.

Make sure to catch it on the festival circuit if you're able, or when it gets a wider release at the very end of 2020...

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