'Nomadland' Trailer: Chloé Zhao's Acclaimed Drama Finally Debuts This Month

After spending months at the forefront of awards discussions and appearing on dozens of "best of 2020" lists, Nomadland is finally poised to actually come out in the United States in a major way. Writer/director Chloé Zhao's excellent, contemplative drama starring Frances McDormand is coming to Hulu and theaters in just a few days, and Searchlight Pictures has released a new trailer to remind people A) that this is a great movie that everyone will finally have access to, and B) that this is one of the most acclaimed films of the entire year.

According to the Oscar odds-makers, Nomadland is the current frontrunner for the Academy Awards for Best Picture and Best Director, and as of this writing, Frances McDormand is tracking just ever-so-slightly behind Ma Rainey's Black Bottom's Viola Davis. People have been talking about this film's awards potential ever since it initially premiered at the Venice Film Festival last September, which probably feels like eons ago to film fans who have been hearing a slow trickle of great things about this movie and have been dying to actually lay eyes on it themselves. The film has been playing in IMAX theaters since the end of last month, but for many, the risk of heading into any theater while the pandemic is still a very real threat is (rightly) too much for any film to overcome. Thankfully, the movie is coming to Hulu so people can watch it safely at home.

Zhao's quiet, intimate, lyrical, and beautiful film made /Film's Best Films of 2020 list and had multiple moments on our Best Movie Moments of the Year list, and I encourage you all to seek it out in the safest way possible when it arrives later this month. Zhao also has the Marvel Studios movie Eternals coming out this year, and word recently came out that she's developing a futuristic sci-fi western take on Dracula.

Here is the movie's official synopsis:

Following the economic collapse of a company town in rural Nevada, Fern (Frances McDormand) packs her van and sets off on the road exploring a life outside of conventional society as a modern-day nomad. The third feature film from director Chloé Zhao, NOMADLAND features real nomads Linda May, Swankie and Bob Wells as Fern's mentors and comrades in her exploration through the vast landscape of the American West.

Nomadland comes to Hulu and theaters on February 19, 2021.