Acclaimed ‘Nomadland,’ ‘Minari’ streaming soon

Above : Frances McDormand stars in “Nomadland,” which will stream on Hulu Feb. 19. (Photo: Searchlight Pictures)

In the last weeks of 2020, critics all across the country released their Top 10 lists. You know, the movies they considered to be the best the year had to offer.

Two of the films that made many lists but, for one reason or another, weren’t made available to stream online (or streamed for a limited period) were “Nomadland” and “Minari.” Lucky for all of us, both are coming online in the next couple of weeks.

“Nomadland” stars Frances McDormand as Fern, a woman who becomes one among many hit hard by the recession of 2007-2008. Living in her van, she gets by any way she can. And her trek through the American West becomes a story of American life too often overlooked.

“ ‘Nomadland’ is an existential exploration of the notion of freedom, of life lived on the blurry edges of American society, untethered to traditional ideals of society,” wrote Adam Graham , film critic for the Detroit News.

Directed by Chloé Zhao, and co-written by Zhao and Jessica Bruder, “Nomadland” will stream on Hulu beginning Feb. 19.

As for “Minari,” it’s set in the 1980s and focuses on a Korean family that attempts to make it by farming in Arkansas.

“ ‘Minari’ works quietly and methodically, embracing its lush rural setting with striking glimpses of its characters, alone against vast and empty landscapes,” wrote David Canfield , film critic for Entertainment Weekly.

Written and directed by Lee Isaac Chung, “Minari” will stream Feb. 26 on a range of sites, including Amazon Prime, Google Play, iTunes, Vudu, etc. (Beginning Friday, the film will be available through a special A24 screening room ; subscription is required.)

After seeing both, I’ll finally get to put my own personal 2020 Top Ten list to final rest.

By the way, both films are among IMDB.com’s list of its “Most Anticipated Movies of 2021.” Click here to scroll through the selections.