Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri movie review (2017) | Roger Ebert (2024)

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Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri movie review (2017) | Roger Ebert (1)

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Anger is an energy in Martin McDonagh’s brilliant “Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri,” one of the best films of the year. In this “Southern American with an Irish attitude” story from the "In Bruges" writer/director that, like a lot of his work, recalls Flannery O’Connor in tone (the O'Connor quote "The truth does not change according to our ability to stomach it" could be this movie's tagline), anger is not treated like something to be cured. Hollywood likes to teach us that anger is a sin, and that only through acceptance and understanding can we find true happiness. Easier said than done, right? How can you not be angry at an unfair world? Life will take children before parents. Life will give cancer to relatively young people. Life will be racist, sexist, and cruel. And you should throw a few back and yell at something that unfair. You should fight. It is only through that fighting and that rage that other emotions like empathy and understanding can surface. Anger is not a disease to be cured but a path on the road to comprehending the world.

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No one does angry better than Frances McDormand, who does her best film work here since “Fargo” as Mildred Hayes, a recently divorced mother who lost her daughter Angela less than a year ago. Angela was raped and murdered, but the case has gone cold. There was no matching DNA, so the spotlight has dimmed and Mildred is getting no updates. She’s angry. She should be. One day, she sees three barren billboards on a rarely-traveled road, and she rents the space to ask the local chief of police, played by Woody Harrelson, why there are no answers. Local media becomes interested in the billboards, and the attention sparks a series of events involving not only the chief but one of his more loathsome officers, played by Sam Rockwell. Peter Dinklage, Caleb Landry Jones, Abbie Cornish, Lucas Hedges, Clarke Peters, and John Hawkes fill out a ridiculously perfect supporting cast.

You might think you have your finger on what this will be like from that description, but McDonagh’s simply perfect script is never quite what you expect it to be. The mystery of what happened to Angela would have dominated other versions of this story, but this is not really that movie. On one level, it is more about cause and effect than crime and resolution. Mildred rents the billboards, which leads to pressure on the chief, which leads to anger from his loyal officer, and so on and so on down the line. McDonagh spares no one, allowing almost all of his characters to be deeply flawed, especially McDormand’s Mildred and Rockwell’s Dixon. Life has screwed over both of these people, and it has made them both angry. Mildred is channeling her anger to solve her daughter’s murder. Dixon has less of an idea of what to do with his, but one senses early on that it’s probably going to eventually cost him his job.

Rockwell often plays nice guys, but he’s more effective here as a racist, violent cop than you might expect. He looks older and pudgier, like he drinks himself to sleep every night and doesn’t really trust that life has much in store for him. Rockwell has a big arc in this film and he takes no false steps, as usual. Harrelson is great too, but the film belongs to McDormand, who can do more with a withering glare than most actresses can do with a monologue. She is simply stunning when it comes to internal language, so often revealing the pain underneath the rage. Her Mildred takes no prisoners, but also feels like someone literally torn apart inside by grief. McDormand can destroy a monologue, too—a scene with a priest offering counsel is an all-timer, earning applause at my screening—but she’s even more impressive in the minor beats. It’s the curl of a lip to fight back tears or the downward glance to stop herself from punching someone. This character is so completely, fully realized in ways that other actresses couldn’t have come anywhere close to capturing. It’s stunning to watch.

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Of course, McDonagh deserves a ton of credit for not only directing her but giving her such a great part in such a smart script. Empathy and peace with the too-common injustice of our world is a common theme in cinema, but it’s usually handled with kid gloves or pat resolutions. There are no easy answers in McDonagh’s world—no clear-cut heroes and villains. You will start to question Mildred and you will start to defend Dixon. In a sense, that’s one of McDonagh’s most stunning tricks with this film. The world is more complex than most movies would have you think, and it takes a writer of his remarkable ability to convey that. He’s also operating at a more technically accomplished level than ever before, particularly in the way the film uses a great score from Coen regular Carter Burwell and well-balanced cinematography from Ben Davis.

Not every speedbump given us by life teaches us tolerance. A daughter shouldn’t die at all, much less brutally. But what do we do with that knowledge? How do we channel our anger at an unjust world? “Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri” is one of those truly rare films that feels both profound and grounded; inspirational without ever manipulatively trying to be so. Very few recent movies have made me laugh and cry in equal measure as much as this one. Very few films recently are this good.

This review originally ran from the Toronto International Film Festival on September 13, 2017.

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Film Credits

Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri movie review (2017) | Roger Ebert (9)

Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri (2017)

Rated Rfor violence, language throughout, and some sexual references.

115 minutes

Cast

Frances McDormandas Mildred Hayes

Woody Harrelsonas Sheriff Bill Willoughby

Sam Rockwellas Officer Jason Dixon

Abbie Cornishas Anne

Caleb Landry Jonesas Red

Kathryn Newtonas Angela

Clarke Petersas Abercrombie

Director

  • Martin McDonagh

Writer

  • Martin McDonagh

Cinematographer

  • Ben Davis

Editor

  • Jon Gregory

Composer

  • Carter Burwell

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Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri movie review (2017) | Roger Ebert (2024)

FAQs

Are three billboards worth watching? ›

McDonagh's latest is - even this early on - shaping up to be the film of the year. Emotional, impactful, hilarious, riveting, and, most importantly, thoroughly entertaining. A sharp and powerful character study.

What was the point of Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri? ›

“Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri” deals with the wild chain of events that follow store clerk Mildred Hayes' (Frances McDormand) decision to use three abandoned signs on a seldom traveled road to express her outrage over law enforcement's inability to make any arrests on her daughter's rape and murder case.

Was Three Billboards movie a true story? ›

MISSOURI — Yes, the crime is real, the billboards are real, but the town is fictional. Director Martin McDonagh explained in an interview with the Los Angeles Times that the inspiration for the movie “Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri” came to him almost two decades ago.

Is Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri scary? ›

Parents need to know that Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri is an intense, sharply written crime-related drama with excellent performances (especially by star Frances McDormand). Expect some intense moments of violence, including assault by a police officer, a man grabbing a woman by the throat,…

What is the message of the three billboards? ›

Much of the film's conflict is driven by the attack and counter-attack between Mildred and Dixon. characters. Three Billboards encapsulates the adage “violence begets violence” whereby a cycle of retribution reinforces and replicates conditions of rage and grief.

Who killed Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri? ›

After the billboards are destroyed by arson, Mildred retaliates by tossing Molotov co*cktails at the police station, which she believes to be unoccupied for the night.

Why did three billboards end that way? ›

Three Billboards can feature an ending that never solves Abigail Hayes' murder because the story was never really about the crime to begin with — it was about forgiveness, justice, and guilt. By the end of the film, Mildred hasn't changed from the hardened, spitfire of a woman she was at the beginning.

Who is the real life mother in three billboards? ›

Marianne Asher-Chapman is the real life version of Frances McDormand's character in the Oscar-nominated film Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri. Her daughter Angela, also the name of the daughter in the film, was killed in 2003 by her husband but her body has never been found.

Was the deer in three billboards real? ›

Many on Twitter thought it was entirely computer-generated. However, real animals were brought in for the scene. Animal trainer Greg Tresan of Dogworks confirmed to Moviepaws: “We did use real deer.”

Where were Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri filmed? ›

Filming took place in Sylva, North Carolina.

How accurate are three billboards? ›

The movie was inspired by the true story of Kathy Page, whose father put up billboards accusing local police of botching her murder case. Although based on a true story, Martin McDonagh made some changes, including making the protagonist a mother instead of a father, and fictionalizing other details.

Did Sam Rockwell gain weight for Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri? ›

Dyeing for Your Art: Sam Rockwell gained weight for the role. He did wear some padding to make Dixon look chubbier. Fake American: Samara Weaving is Australian but plays a Missouri native. Playing Against Type: Sam Rockwell usually plays wimps, but here he plays a slack-jawed bully with a badge.

Who burned down the billboards in three billboards? ›

At home, he removes a sample of the man's DNA. Meanwhile, Mildred goes on a date to thank James for the alibi; Charlie enters with his 19-year old girlfriend Penelope (Samara Weaving), and admits to burning the billboards. Mildred instructs Charlie to treat Penelope well and leaves.

What platform is three billboards on? ›

Watch Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri | Disney+

What is the plot of three billboards? ›

Are billboards still worth it? ›

Overall, billboards tend to have more views (impressions) than other marketing methods due to high-traffic locations, making billboard advertising great for brand awareness.

How many people actually read billboards? ›

Billboard Advertising Effectiveness

The Arbitron National In-Car Study, found that 71% of Americans consciously look at billboard messages while driving.

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