Nomadland follows the nomadic journey of a woman across the American West. After the United States Gypsum Company shut down in the aftermath of the Great Recession, the real place of Empire, Nevada ceased to exist in 2010 as it no longer garnered profit from its main industry source. The movie’s fictional heroine begins a nomadic existence searching for gig work after she loses her job and her home. She finds work at companies looking for temporary employment such as Amazon. Caught in the psychological conundrum between intimacy and isolation, Fern joins a group of itinerant workers in order to form a community and intimate connections in the face of marginalization and isolation. There is a strong bond between these people that are bound together not only by similar working conditions, but also a conviction of self-reliance and individual freedom. Although nomadic existences are often deemed as disconnected from society, through Fern we see that in reality they are strongly connected to nature, freedom, and each other. Although some people throughout the movie tend to speak condescendingly to Fern as being homeless and throwing her life away, Fern views herself as being houseless, not homeless. With this group of people, she has found a home.

The members of this tribe of workers live out of vehicles in order to secure what is left of their Social Security benefits after working their entire lives. In the beginning of the movie, the man in charge of the RV park introduces the analogy of the members of the American working class to work horses. The man explains how they work themselves to death their entire lives just to be put out to pasture and thrown away by society. In the wake of the Great Succession, this idea was even more relevant as many people in the American working class were stripped of their life-long work benefits. However, the movie does not dwell on economic exploitation, but rather follows the nomadic existence of gig workers that focusses more on individual freedom and self-reliance. In fact, the movie tends to romanticize gig work and portrays the main characters as resilient people not to be victimized or pitied. 

Despite glossing over some of the exploitations of gig work such as low pay, poor benefits, and job-site injuries and dangers, the movie is dedicated to authenticity. Not only does the movie follow the journey of Fern across the majestic landscape of the American West, but also is bound to the realism and authenticity of RV parks and the resilient communities that Fern engages with throughout her journey. The film is formed by beautiful compositions of the authenticity of the beauty of the landscape against the truth of the forces of loneliness and desolation. Once again, we are not persuaded to feel sorry for this lifestyle or this heroine. She does not need to be saved or be domesticated, but we share an emotional understanding with this character and her situation.

The ending of the movie shuns conclusiveness and embraces a vastness which is symbolic of the character it follows. This movie does not require a concrete conclusiveness of a plot if its wish is to portray the authenticity of Fern’s unsettlement and pursuit of dreams that she fears will go unfulfilled. Fern is representative of many Americans who are faced with the uncertainty of tomorrow and are lost and immersed in anxiety. This is especially relevant today in the midst of COVID-19. Although there is a light at the end of the tunnel, perhaps already felt but even more so in the wake of COVID-19, many people are faced with uncertainty and stripped of assurance.