Review of Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri (2017) by Howard R — 05 Feb 2018

After sweeping awards at the 2018 Golden Globes, Three Billboards Outside Edding, Missouri is not only nominated the Best Picture of the Academy Award but also currently deemed having the best chance of taking it home.

I finished the movie on a Sunday night, didn't expect much, but the dramatic tension was like a vortex sucking me inwards as the movie unfolds and the closer you were to the center, the more powerful it felt. The vivid depiction of characters, meticulously rendered storyline, implicit yet overwhelming emotion presented by the main characters, each of the above added together to form the solid structure of the movie. Yet, what captivated me the most was the conflicting human nature.

Mildred's aloofness and Dixon's toughness were their strongest shields which formed as they walk through thorns and thistles in life. But who we really are is a question we sometimes don't even know we are asking.

Right vs wrong, evil vs righteousness, two scenes with one Dixon threw Red out of the window and another one where Dixon safeguarded the investigation file. Soft vs hard, warm vs cold, Mildred's response when Willoughby told her that he had cancer and Mildred's reaction when seeing Willoughby cough blood. It was so clearly presented that they are, and we all are, much more complicated than we think. One could argue that their personalities have changed. I prefer the idea of "to be, or not to be". The deepest question for a human soul to answer lingers on after the movie was finished with the final question asked: "Are you sure about this? (killing this man)".

I wouldn't recommend the movie to those who want a chill night and a few laughs before going to bed on a Saturday night, but for those who are always exploring the deep conflict of human nature, it's not a movie you could bear to miss.