It might be later than normal, but the Hollywood award season is finally on its way and we could be in for plenty of surprises if the recent Golden Globe nominations are anything to go by. One of those films being touted as a big awards favourite is that of Nomadland, written and directed by Chloe Zhao and starring Frances McDormand that appears almost guaranteed to grab, not just nominations, but even possible wins for its director and lead.
Nomadland follows the character of Fern (McDormand) as she travels the American west living out of her van after losing everything in the Great Recession. It’s not the sort of high action drama that will excite audiences but then these award-potential films seldom are crowd-pleasers. That doesn’t mean that they aren’t deserving of high praise though. Can Nomadland captivate a large number of people too? Well, let’s look at the new trailer for the movie to find out:
I’m going to go with no. Nomadland looks to be a beautifully framed sequence of events in the open western landscapes of the US, and there is evidence of a deep and thought-provoking film with incredible acting performances on offer here. But its melancholic themes make for a film that will likely only appeal to a small audience.
This is unfortunately an example of why there is often a big gulf between critical darling and box office hits, given that the subject matter on display in this film is likely not going to appeal to many people. That’s not to say that it won’t be good, but you’ll need to prepare yourself mentally for what looks to be a film that gets very emotionally heavy. Not exactly weekend material that you can switch your brain off to.
Nomadland is arriving via Hulu on February 19, along with a parallel theatre release in the US, with the film only hitting our shores a little later on. Expect to hear a lot about this movie from the awards shows, but don’t expect it to create too much excitement beyond that.
Last Updated: February 12, 2021
