Review of Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri (2017) by Mathewreviewer — 14 Jul 2019

Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri is a film directed by Martin McDonagh known for other great films like Seven Psychopaths and In Brudges. The film came out on 2016 and has been regarded as a cult classic ever since. It tells the story of Mildred, a mother of two whose daughter had been murdered and raped; as there is a lack of interest from the local police on the murder of her daughter she decides to take justice in her own hands and push the police to restart the investigation in the form of three billboards with messages against the chief of the town. Little does she know that everything will go off the rails from there….

The movie on itself is a pretty worthwhile experience, there is plenty of good acting, specially from the main leads played by Frances McDormand (in probably her best performance to date) and Sam Rockwell. Their characters, despite having differences on their perception of justice, manage to deliver a solid and believable hate relationship that evolves in such a natural scheme that you find yourself astonished on how almost perfectly everything plays out for them at the end of the film. There is always a feeling of unpredictability to it, you never know where the story is going to go, you could certainly say that most of the movie is composed of plot-twists but it is mind-blowing to know that they don't feel forced at any moment as the story progresses with a pretty light pace without feeling over-stuffed during its whole runtime.

The technical aspects are breathtaking, McDonagh proves to be a masterful director once again with a familiar story that takes a bizarre approach to its subject matter. There is plenty to enjoy from masterful directing to a beautiful soundtrack composed of country and classic music that turn Three Billboards into a remarkable craft. Motherhood, vengeance, redemption and regret are only a handful of the themes touched in Three Billboards. The emotional parts hit you hard most of the time because everything about it feels so authentic, it is an amazing work of passion. Conclusion: Three Billboards is probably the best movie to come out on 2017 and its impact will remain as one of the most heartbreaking black comedies of the decade, the conflict feels real and the characters, the heart of the film, make it worth a watch.