Movies Like Nomadland (2021)

Nomadland is a 2021 drama film from Chloé Zhao with a MovieMagicScore of 7.2/10. Here are 20 similar films, ranked by real viewer ratings — starting with Galveston and Bones and All.

Drama

Galveston

2018

After a violent encounter, Roy finds Rocky and sees something in her eyes that prompts a fateful decision. He takes her with him as he flees to Galveston, an action as ill-advised as it is inescapable.

6.1

MagicScore

Bones and All

2022

Abandoned by her father, a young woman embarks on a thousand-mile odyssey through the backroads of America where she meets a disenfranchised drifter. But despite their best efforts, all roads lead back to their terrifying pasts and to a final stand that will determine whether their love can survive their otherness.

7.0

MagicScore

The Lady in the Van

2015

The true story of the relationship between Alan Bennett and the singular Miss Shepherd, a woman of uncertain origins who ‘temporarily’ parked her van in Bennett’s London driveway and proceeded to live there for 15 years.

6.4

MagicScore

Little Women

2019

Four sisters come of age in America in the aftermath of the Civil War.

7.9

MagicScore

Distant

2002

A young man from rural Turkey arrives in Istanbul with dreams working on a ship and stays with a cousin while he searches for work. Over time, the former’s struggles to find employment and the latter’s troubles and disappointments strain their relationship and living situation.

7.1

MagicScore

Marley & Me

2008

A newly married couple, in the process of starting a family, learn many of life's important lessons from their trouble-loving retriever, Marley. Packed with plenty of laughs to lighten the load, the film explores the highs and lows of marriage, maturity and confronting one's own mortality, as seen through the lens of family life with a dog.

7.2

MagicScore

Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory

1971

When eccentric candy man Willy Wonka promises a lifetime supply of sweets and a tour of his chocolate factory to five lucky kids, penniless Charlie Bucket seeks the golden ticket that will make him a winner.

7.5

MagicScore

The Van

1996

In a working-class quarter of Dublin, 'Bimbo' Reeves gets laid off from his job and, with his redundancy payout, buys a van and sells fish and chips with his buddy, Larry. Due to Ireland's surprising success at the 1990 FIFA World Cup, their business starts off well, but the relationship between the two friends soon becomes strained as Bimbo behaves more like a typical boss.

6.3

MagicScore

Lost in America

1985

David and Linda Howard are successful yuppies from LA. When he gets a job disappointment, David convinces Linda that they should quit their jobs, liquidate their assets, and emulate the movie Easy Rider, spending the rest of their lives traveling around America...in a Winnebago.

6.9

MagicScore

#10

Gung Ho

1986

When a western Pennsylvania auto plant is acquired by a Japanese company, brokering auto worker Hunt Stevenson faces the tricky challenge of mediating the assimilation of two clashing corporate cultures. At one end is the Japanese plant manager and the sycophant who is angling for his position. At the other, a number of disgruntled long-time union members struggle with the new exigencies of Japanese quality control.

6.0

MagicScore

#11

The Leisure Seeker

2018

A runaway couple go on an unforgettable journey from Boston to Key West, recapturing their passion for life and their love for each other on a road trip that provides revelation and surprise right up to the very end.

7.1

MagicScore

#12

Pick-up

1975

Sexy hippie chicks Carol and Maureen get more than they bargained for when they hitch a ride with groovy hippie dude Chuck in his nifty mobile bus home. The trio get lost in the Florida Everglades following a fierce rain storm and embark on a startling spiritual journey of self-discovery.

4.4

MagicScore

#13

Near Dark

1987

A farm boy reluctantly becomes a member of the undead when a girl he meets turns out to be part of a band of vampires who roam the highways in stolen cars.

6.9

MagicScore

#14

Elite Squad: The Enemy Within

2010

After a bloody invasion of the BOPE in the High-Security Penitentiary Bangu 1 in Rio de Janeiro to control a rebellion of interns, the Lieutenant-Colonel Roberto Nascimento and the second in command Captain André Matias are accused by the Human Right Aids member Diogo Fraga of execution of prisoners. Matias is transferred to the corrupted Military Police and Nascimento is exonerated from the BOPE by the Governor.

7.8

MagicScore

#15

Zombieland: Double Tap

2019

Columbus, Tallahassee, Wichita, and Little Rock move to the American heartland as they face off against evolved zombies, fellow survivors, and the growing pains of the snarky makeshift family.

6.9

MagicScore

#16

On the Road

2012

Sal Paradise is a young writer whose life is shaken and ultimately redefined by the arrival of Dean Moriarty, a free-spirited, fearless, fast talking Westerner and his girl, Marylou. Traveling cross-country, Sal and Dean venture out on a personal quest for freedom from the conformity and conservatism engulfing them in search of the unknown, themselves, and the pursuit of “it” -- the pure essence of experience.

5.6

MagicScore

#17

The Coldest Game

2019

Warsaw, Poland, during the Cuban Missile Crisis, 1962. Josh Mansky, a troubled math genius and former US chess champion, is recruited to hold a dangerous public match against the Soviet champion, while playing the deadly game of espionage hidden in the darkest shadows of a hostile territory.

6.2

MagicScore

#18

Non-Fiction

2018

Alain, a successful Parisian publisher struggling to adapt to the digital revolution, has major doubts about the new manuscript of Léonard, one of his long-time authors — another work of auto-fiction recycling his love affair with a minor celebrity. Selena, Alain’s wife, a famous stage actress, is of the opposite opinion.

5.4

MagicScore

#19

Rock Band

2018

A young band from Norway set out on a journey across the country to attend the National Championship of Rock in a race against time, the police and their parents.

7.0

MagicScore

#20

Roads

2019

A young man from the Congo in search of his brother attempts to cross Europe's borders. In Morocco, he teams up with a sharp-witted British runaway who pinched his stepfather's recreational vehicle in order to escape from a family holiday. On their journey, the disparate duo have to make decisions that will also influence the lives of others.

6.3

MagicScore

Frequently asked

What are the best movies like Nomadland?

The top films similar to Nomadland by MovieMagicScore are Galveston (6.1), Bones and All (7.0), The Lady in the Van (6.4). Each shares drama themes and is ranked by real viewer ratings, not critics or studios.

Is Nomadland worth watching?

Nomadland holds a MovieMagicScore of 7.2/10 from 3,182 viewer ratings, putting it among the better-reviewed titles in its genre.

What kind of movie is Nomadland?

Nomadland (2021) is a drama film directed by Chloé Zhao, starring Frances McDormand, David Strathairn, Linda May.

Where can I find more recommendations like Nomadland?

Browse the full ranked list above, or explore more drama recommendations on MovieMagicScore, where every list is ordered by genuine viewer ratings.

Keep exploring

Movies like Galveston Movies like Bones and All Movies like The Lady in the Van Movies like Little Women Movies like Distant Movies like Marley & Me

About movies like Nomadland

This ranked list pairs Nomadland (2021), a drama film from Chloé Zhao, with similar titles by genre, theme and cast overlap (fans of Frances McDormand take note). Unlike critic-driven sites, every position here is ordered by MovieMagicScore — a rating built only from real viewers, with no studio marketing or paid placement. Scores update as more people rate, so the list stays current.

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