‘Nomadland:’ How to Watch Frances McDormand and Chloé Zhao’s New Film on Hulu for Free
If you purchase an independently reviewed product or service through a link on our website, Rolling Stone may receive an affiliate commission.
“No, I’m not homeless. I’m just houseless. Not the same thing, right?” says Academy Award-winner Frances McDormand as Fern, in the trailer for Chloé Zhao‘s new, award-winning film Nomadland.
The critically-acclaimed drama is playing in select theaters now (check showtimes here) but if you’d prefer to watch the Golden Globe-winning and Oscar-nominated film from home, we’ve found a couple of ways to stream Nomadland online on Hulu.
Nomadland: Release Date and Where to Watch It
Following a run in IMAX theaters earlier this year (which earned the film an appearance on our list of the Best Movies of 2020), Nomadland is available to watch on Hulu now.
Stream Nomadland for free on Hulu
How to Watch Nomadland Online for Free
You can stream the new film, which is based on Jessica Bruder’s 2017 novel, Nomadland: Surviving America in the Twenty-First Century, if you have access to a Hulu account. If you don’t currently have a Hulu subscription, you can watch Nomadland for free and without cable thanks to Hulu’s 7-day free trial.
The free trial also lets you stream all of the platform’s content, including must-watch documentaries, like Framing Britney Spears, classic concert films like Amazing Grace, as well as a large collection of TV and movie titles including Palm Springs and more.
Hulu has multiple plans to choose from if you want to extend your subscription, too. After your trial ends, it’s only $5.99/monthly for a basic Hulu subscription, or $11.99/monthly without ads. If you want to stream live TV on Hulu, grab a Hulu + Live TV subscription for $64.99 per month — something you can also test out with your 7-day free trial.
The best Hulu deal though is part of the Disney+ bundle. For just $12.99 a month, you can get a package with Hulu, Disney+ and ESPN+, which lets you watch Nomadland, movies like the 1997 Cinderella remake featuring Brandy and Whitney Houston, as well as Marvel and Pixar films. (On its own, signing up for just Disney+ costs you $6.99 a month.)
Get Disney+ Bundle Deal here
What Is Nomadland About?
According to an official description of the film, Nomadland follows McDormand’s character as we travel with her on her journey across the western United States: “Following the economic collapse of a company town in rural Nevada, Fern packs her van and sets off on the road exploring a life outside of conventional society as a modern-day nomad.” The film’s cast also includes Oscar nominee David Strathairn and “real nomads Linda May, Swankie and Bob Wells as Fern’s mentors and comrades,” according to a release.
Nomadland: Award Nominations, What to Expect, Reviews
A winner at the 2020 Venice Film Festival and Toronto International Film Festival, Nomadland has also been nominated for a number of awards this year as well, including its recent win for Best Motion Picture – Drama at the 2021 Golden Globes.
McDormand, who’s a producer on Nomadland, also picked up a nomination in the Best Actress in a Motion Picture – Drama category, while Zhao, who directed, wrote and produced the movie and who’s also directing the upcoming Marvel Eternals film, was nominated for Best Screenplay and won for Best Direction in a Motion Picture.
Nomadland is up for several awards, including Best Picture, at this year’s 93rd Academy Awards, which air on ABC on Sunday, April 25th. Zhao received an Oscar nomination for Best Director, and McDormand was also nominated for Best Actress. (You can stream the 2021 Oscars online with a Hulu + Live TV plan and more here.)
Aside from its numerous nominations and awards — and likely, more accolades to follow — Nomadland was also featured in Rolling Stone‘s list of the Best Movies of 2020, with David Fear calling it “such a rich portrait of rootlessness as a way of life, and how a big-picture social failure is somehow reframed by certain types into a pivot toward personal liberation.”
Meanwhile, in our four-star review, K. Austin Collins writes: “For all the majesty and naturalistic realism of its imagery, Nomadland is nevertheless full of sublime, uncanny details that lift it somewhat above the fray.”
Watch Nomadland in theaters now or stream the film online on Hulu.com.