Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri Review
By Colton Gomez | 03/31/24 | 1:12 A.M. Mountain Time
Crime, Comedy | Rated R | 1 hr 55 min | Film Release Date: November 10, 2017
In the south, knives are unsheathed, wounds are fresher, and hills are steeper to climb. Cops of the Ebbing police department are dim and hot in the head, particularly Jason Dixon, played by Sam Rockwell. He possesses the shortest fuse, the most brass, and the loudest racist beliefs. His police chief, Willoughby (Woody Harrelson), is publicly called out for his department’s lack of progress by Mildred Hayes (Francis McDormand), on her daughter’s murder/rape case. She displays a message on three billboards that occupy the same street where her daughter was victimized. The messages, one per billboard, read: “Raped While Dying,” “And Still No Arrests?” “How Come, Chief Willoughby?”
This sparks the plot of Mildred trying to get answers and closure for her dead daughter’s case, while attempting to make up to her for being a bad mother. The majority of the people of Ebbing are against Mildred’s billboards. The people love chief Willoughby and know that he has a badly kept secret that affects his health. This makes it hard for Mildred to safely see a dentist, feel safe at work, and exacerbates her dire family situation. Strong as she is, she sticks to her guns and pushes for the only thing in the world that matters to her, catching her daughter’s rapist and killer.
The performances by McDormand and Harrelson are phenomenal. These are seasoned actors who can convey entire lines of dialogue without saying a word. Rockwell’s hotheaded, uneducated, racist, mama’s boy cop is scary at times but is played for humor more often than he should. The moments of comic relief in this film are more odd than funny. These moments fall flat, and they are only there to offset some of the heavier themes in the film.
Caleb Landry Jones is an actor with great potential. I first saw him in Get Out, and here, his character speaks with similar intonations and that low whisper, matter of fact, mumble that seems to be the work of an amateur actor. To me, all that says is, “Don’t waste this screen time, you are an actor, you better act well.”
These characters just don't strike me as Missouri southern. Some people have accents, some seem far too open-minded, and some I can only see as Hollywood actors, and nothing more. Lucas Hedges is too old to be playing a high schooler (Mildred’s son) and seeing him act immature and pubescent is a misfit.
There are far too many brand name drops in this film. From the top of my head, Huggies, Fruit Loops, Rice Krispies, Krispy Kreme, Doritos all get a specific mention. I found them distracting rather than seemingly like real-world lingo.
This film deals with contemporary issues like racism, police brutality, political correctness, patriarchy. It doesn't try to disguise these issues and is therefore very heavy-handed. The film asks questions like, What would you do to catch your daughter’s rapist and murderer? Who would you burn to get there? Would you kill him?
The film shows how a tragedy can tear apart a small town with outdated values and expose the facades of many; for better or worse. It forces people to act and take sides by taking action for or against Mildred’s cause.
Martin McDonagh is an extremely skilled filmmaker. He is a master of character and that shines in this movie's strongest ones, Mildred, Dixon, and Willoughby. They are portraits of hurt and damaged people who have been forced to think deeply about things that challenge their beliefs. The film he has crafted is extremely relevant and topical, some might say too much. A lot of it seems to be him venting frustrations about police and the justice system, especially in places that seem to be more prejudicial than critical thinking.
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