Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri

     Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri is directed by Martin McDonagh (In Bruges) and stars Frances McDormand (Fargo), Sam Rockwell (Moon), and Woody Harrelson (Zombieland). It tells the story of a mother looking for answers to the murder of her daughter seven months ago, by creating hysteria in a small town by purchasing three billboards.
     Since premiering at the Venice Film Festival in September, Three Billboards has gotten nothing but praise. Currently, it sits as the front runner for best picture at this upcoming Academy Awards. And Martin McDonagh has created some of my favorite films of all time with his smartly written scripts and darkly comic timing. All the pieces were in place for this to be a great film, so how did it hold up to expectations?
    Starting with the positives, Frances McDormand was incredible as a single mother, trying to navigate the world post losing a daughter. Her ability to change emotion within the same scene was a masterclass in acting. I believe the Oscar is hers to lose at the moment. Sam Rockwell also has a strong case for best supporting actor. He somehow was likable despite his bigoted attitude towards many different people groups. Harrelson played his role well, but was a little too Woody to see much acting actually going on. One person to note is Caleb Landry Jones, who is quietly having a terrific year after staring in this movie, Get Out, The Florida Project, and American Made.
     It is difficult to discuss much of the actual plot without going into spoiler territory, so I am going to avoid it because the movie is worth seeing based off the performances alone. But many of the twists and turns were welcome surprises, going in directions I had not even considered. And by the end, I was not ready to let these characters go, which is a testament to the power of McDonagh's ability to write characters with real depth and the power of the performances on display.
    Although I enjoyed the movie, it was not without it's flaws. The most glaring of them was the shocking violence that appeared to come out of nowhere. Rather than cutaway at some of the more gruesome parts, Three Billboards shows it in all its glory. The ultra violence felt like a tonal clash with what the rest of the movie had going on. Another issue goes into spoiler territory but involves a scene in the gift shop that McDormand's character works at. The character introduced feels like a caricature and too easy a solution for such an otherwise brilliant film.
     Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri is a very good film that was almost great. It is worth seeing based off the performances of McDormand and Rockwell, but its ultra violence and questionable character motivations held it back.

When should you watch it?
Wait a Week