the base image is nodejs
Which has its own dockerfile. My proposed tool would allow using other images as base too, but that is not the problem it is solving.
copy your app
Well you'd have to have it compiled or built if that is required in your case. With my system, the build recipe would be a gentoo ebuild (shell-script-like) that you would just reference.
The example I gave is pretty simple, you're right. Say in another case, you list the following packages:
nodejs, nginx, vpn-app(wireguard), some-system-monitoring-app, my-app
You could start with a nodejs base or an nginx base, and then write the steps to install the other. You'd also have to make sure to get all the deps if they have them.
You're unlikely to find a ready image that has all what you want. But with my method, you can compose different ones however you like, rather than having to find an image that matches your exact use case.
Distroless is not core to the idea. It's only a nice to have. The main point is the composability, Declarative design, etc.