Chloé Zhao’s Nomadland, our pick for the best film of 2020, will begin its wide release rollout in late January after a brief virtual release last year. The film will be available to stream on Hulu (and view at domestic theaters and drive-ins) on February 19 after a brief theatrical run in select IMAX theaters starting January 29, though—just as a reminder—there’s still a pandemic going on and going to the movies remains unsafe.
In Nomadland, Frances McDormand (an awards favorite) plays Fern, a woman who travels America after losing her job. The film is an adaptation of Jessica Bruder’s book, Nomadland: Surviving America in the Twenty-First Century. Nomadland has already won the Golden Lion for Best Film at the Venice International Film Festival and the People’s Choice Award at the Toronto International Film Festival, all while dominating best-of lists like our own.
The film’s premise and meditation on disillusionment will surely resonate with audiences due to the sordid state of American life. Zhao, who directed 2017’s The Rider, will venture out of the indie world and into blockbusters with Eternals—a Marvel film slated for release in November.