Following the economic collapse of a town in rural Nevada, Fern (Frances McDormand) packs her van and explores an unconventional life in the vast landscape of the American West. Along the way, she forms unbreakable bonds with other nomads in this powerfully moving story of hope and resilience from director Chloé Zhao, based on the book by Jessica Bruder, also starring David Strathairn.
For in-depth thoughts on Nomadland, please see my colleague Dom Fisher’s review from its original theatrical release here.
Video Quality
Nomadland comes to Blu-Ray in an AVC encoded transfer in 2.39:1 courtesy of Searchlight Pictures featuring some award-winning cinematography from Joshua James Richards. This presentation is quite stunning and offers a stable image quality throughout. The almost documentary feel of the film translates well aesthetically with most shots looking simply breathtaking. Zhao captures some awe-inspiring landscapes that really pop in high definition. Not only do the textural details render cleanly, but the lush greenery leaps off the screen and the sandy, dying landscapes really sells the story. There is no evidence of compression artifacts or other digital nuisances of the sort. Skin tones look natural throughout the runtime. I do not see how this set could have been improved visually without a 4K UHD Blu-Ray disc. It’s a real stunner as is.
Audio Quality
The Blu-Ray disc comes with a DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 track that conjures a very specific mood that transports you to this unique lifestyle. This is a very subdued film, but the track does come alive with the environmental sounds. The wonderful score from Ludovico Einaudi is showcased beautifully here with a gently enveloping use of the surround speakers. The dialogue comes through crystal clear without ever being overpowered by the environmental effects or the score. The sound design is just as precisely thought-out as the on screen visuals with all of the sounds positioned just right in the mix. The environmental effects create a really nice soundscape of brisk wind and noises from Fern’s various jobs. This is not an action-heavy film, so the activity in the low end is very sparse. This is a lovely sounding release that brings the movie to life in a really splendid way.
Special Features
- The Forgotten America: A 14-minute piece in which the cast, crew and author of the book discuss the story and themes of the film, why Zhao was perfect for this material, the real-life inspirations for the characters, the power of Frances in the character, the shooting style and more.
- Telluride Q&A with Frances McDormand and Chloe Zhao: A 15-minute Q&A filmed in September 2020 at a drive-in in which Zhao and McDormand are joined by Swankie, Linda May, Bob Wells and Derek Endres for a very informative session. The participants discuss the process of telling the story, shooting in an Amazon factory, the importance of telling this story, trying to help people through this lifestyle and more.
- Deleted Scenes: Two unused scenes totaling three minutes are provided here which shows a police officer talking to “Frances” about sleeping in her van and a man discussing his vehicle’s name. These are both very worthwhile, but I can understand why the officer scene was taken out given some of the “fourth wall” breaking that happens near the end.
Final Thoughts
Nomadland is an exceptional piece of filmmaking that gently tells a story that is as impactful and relevant as you have ever seen. From the incredible performance from Frances McDormand, David Strathairn and the non-professional actors to the assured filmmaking of Chloe Zhao, everything comes together to be one of the best films of the year. The Blu-Ray perfectly captures the cinematic nature of the story with a beautiful A/V presentation and a couple of really engaging special features. This will be a fantastic addition to any collection. Highly Recommended
Nomadland will be available to purchase on Blu-Ray on April 27, 2021. The film is currently available to purchase on Digital.
Note: Images presented in this review are not reflective of the image quality of the Blu-Ray.
Disclaimer: Buena Vista Home Entertainment has supplied a copy of this disc free of charge for review purposes. All opinions in this review are the honest reactions of the author.
Dillon is most comfortable sitting around in a theatre all day watching both big budget and independent movies.
