How to watch Nomadland online: stream the award-winning movie on Hulu today

(Image credit: Searchlight Pictures)

What do you get when you combine Frances McDormand, acclaimed auteur Chloé Zhao, and the Oscar-nominated producer of Call Me By Your Name, Peter Spears? Awards dynamite, that’s what!

We detail here how to watch Nomadland online with a Hulu subscription, so you can finally catch the explosively understated drama that made the critics swoon in 2020 and emerged as one of the big winners at the Golden Globes.

How to watch Nomadland online

Available from: February 19, 2021

Director: Chloé Zhao

Cast: Frances McDormand, David Strathairn, Linda May, Bob Wells, Swankie, Derek Enders

Run time: 108 minutes

Rating: R

Stream now: Try Hulu for FREE for 1-month

Based on Jessica Bruder’s non-fiction book Nomadland: Surviving America in the Twenty-First Century, the movie finds middle-aged Fern (McDormand) unemployed after the economic collapse of her Nevada home town.

With few prospects, she sells all her belongings and drives off across America, seeking a greater sense of peace in the nomadic lifestyle. Along the way she falls in with a group of fellow wanderers: experiencing hardship and grief, joy and freedom, against the majestic backdrop of the American West.

This skeletal story might sound trite, but it powerfully resonates. McDormand is profoundly engaging as an actress, and as Fern, a woman worn down by life’s tough realities, she’s quietly devastating. Meanwhile, writer-director Zhao – who stunned critics with 2017’s The Rider – brings an understated, earthy, documentary sensibility to Nomadland, which helps to render the reality of life on society's periphery.

Judging by its amazing awards tally, it’s a film that has to be seen and one of the early Oscars 2021 favorites. It’s the first ever to win both the Golden Lion at Venice Film Festival and TIFF’s People’s Choice Award, while the Golden Globes saw it take home Best Film and Zhao win Best Director. So, prepare to be floored by a modern masterpiece as we detail how you can watch Nomadland online, and exclusively on Hulu.

Related: the best Hulu shows to watch today

How to watch Nomadland for FREE with Hulu in the US

From February 19, Hulu is giving you a front-row seat to one of the most acclaimed films of 2020. Nomadland is exclusive to the IPTV service, so you won’t find this pitch-perfect neo-western drama anywhere else.

All you need is a basic subscription to Hulu, which is $5.99 a month, cheaper than Netflix and Disney Plus. Even better, students can sign up for a meager $1.99.

But wait! New subscribers are entitled to a generous 30-day free Hulu trial. In that time you could easily enjoy cracking movies like If Beale Street Could Talk, Palm Springs, and Parasite; TV series Monsterland, Bob’s Burgers, and some of The Handmaid’s Tale, and being the only place to watch Framing Britney Spears.

If you want more a complete cable replacement, there's also the option of Hulu + Live TV at $64.99 a month. Its lineup of 65+ channels including ABC, ESPN, Fox, National Geographic, A&E and FX comes in addition to Hulu's extensive on-demand library - also offering a week-long trial to see if it works for you.

Both Hulu and Hulu + Live TV support a wide range of devices, so there’s plenty of ways to watch your favorite shows: Apple and Android devices, Roku and Apple TV, PlayStation 4 and Xbox consoles, Apple TV, Nintendo Switch and more.

You can also personalize your plan with Premium Channels like HBO Max and Showtime, pick Unlimited Screens, or choose Hulu (no ads) for uninterrupted streaming.

How to save money on Hulu

And if it's sports and entertainment you’re after, minus the high price tag, you’re in luck if you're in the US. Hulu lets you bundle together three OD platforms – ESPN, Disney +, and Hulu – for the ridiculously low fee of $12.99 a month. That combo guarantees something to suit every mood: live sports events, The Simpsons, movies, documentaries, and binge-worthy TV.

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Daniel Pateman is a freelance writer, producing articles across the cultural spectrum for magazines like Aesthetica, Photomonitor, The Brooklyn Rail and This is Tomorrow. He also provides text-writing services to individual curators and artists worldwide, and has had work published internationally. His favourite film genre is horror (bring on Scream 5!) and he never tires of listening to Absolute 80s on the radio.