Review of Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri (2017) by Kyle B — 14 Mar 2018

(4 out of 4) Three Billboards was one of 2017's most critically acclaimed films and I can agree with the praise it has received. The film centers around an angry mother dealing with the loss of her daughter who was murdered months ago.

She is frustrated with the police's inadequacy with how they are handling the situation, so she decides to take matters in her own hands by renting out three billboards that send a message to the chief of police to do their job.

It causes an uproar in the city. The billboards act is at the start of the film and movie focuses on a series of events that unfold that occur after the act. The first praise goes towards it having one of the finest casts of 2017.

It stars Frances McDormand, Woody Harrelson, Sam Rockwell, as well as other recognizable faces. No characters feels out of place and they all act accordingly with the films tone. I will say that the character with the most moving performance is from Rockwell as a corrupt cop who undergoes a character arc that is at times devastating.

It's always a challenge for a filmmaker to get you to feel for an unpleasant person, but the movie pulls it off by letting you spend extra time with the character and allowing you to witness his redemption.

When it comes to what the movie is about (not the plot, but the themes), there has been debating about it. From my perspective, the movie seems to be about redemption, justice, and having the guts to take action.

At the beginning, It seemed like it may go a police brutality route because of some things said by characters at the beginning, and adding on the fact that it is a topic discussed profusely in our culture.

There may be something in there about the idea, but to be honest, I don't think it's about that. If there's anything else, I may have to look harder. Despite my confusion, I can say that the drama is always riveting and I was always curious to see how the movie unfolded.

I love when a film transcends traditional narrative structure and avoiding falling under one genre. It's mostly dramatic, but offers dark comedy as well. It's among my Top 5 of the year.