Nomadland is an unassuming period piece. Its key events take place roughly a decade prior to its release date. You wouldn’t know that, though, beyond a few stray mentions of certain dates and the presence of a few old cell phones. The film centers on the voyages of its titular nomads, who seem removed in time and space from the rest of the world. They get by on parking lot largesse, desert campgrounds, and the other wide spots in the countryside. And the places they inhabit feel weathered and distant enough to seem both ancient and timeless.
And yet, it’s hard to imagine a film more salient for the present moment. Palpable in the very premise of Nomadland is a sense of the things left behind by a society without enough care for the least of us. The parade of precious possessions, pets, and even people cast aside, because there’s no one there to look after them anymore, runs throughout the film. It is, in its way, a blistering indictment of any community that would prompt its citizens to resort to such desperate (if resourceful) measures, for want of other options.
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