three billboards outside ebbing missouri stream

Three Billboards gives an outlet for actors to play with these characters and they are performing to the cheap seats. before delivering one of the greatest mic drop lines of the year. She launches into an incredible monologue comparing the church to the gangs in L.A. At one point a priest comes to visit Mildred to try and convince her to take the billboards down. Each scene feels like a scene of a play where two or three characters are simply talking through their situation.

Though Three Billboards starts off as a David versus Goliath story with Mildred pitted against Willoughby and the police department, it quickly becomes clear that there’s no good and bad in this story as morals are tested on all sides. As other members of the town become involved including Mildred’s son Robbie ( Lucas Hedges, who also did great work in Lady Bird), local James ( Peter Dinklage), and her friend Denise ( Amanda Warren). She even goes as far as saying that they’re “too busy torturing black folks” to solve her daughter’s murder, a fact that is proven true when racist cop Jason Dixon ( Sam Rockwell) mistakenly admits that he did torture a black citizen - he’s borderline incompetent. What Mildred is mad at isn’t the fact that the cops haven’t found the killer, but their complacency in the matter. However, she continues her crusade saying, “they won’t be as effective after you croak.”

Police Chief Willoughby ( Woody Harrelson) reassures Mildred in one scene that they tried finding a DNA match to no avail and eventually reveals he has cancer. However, the case went cold and police stopped updating Mildred. The reason Mildred Hayes ( Frances McDormand) puts up these billboards - she pays the head of Ebbing Advertising Red ( Caleb Landry Jones, wonderful here and earlier this year in Get Out) $5000 a month to erect her message - is because her teenage daughter Angela was raped, murdered, and burned seven months earlier.

And while it seems like a simple targeted message, the entire small town of Ebbing is sure going to know about it. That is what is written on the titular billboards in Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri. Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri is a bleak black comedy that boasts some of the best performances and writing of any movie this year.

Three billboards outside ebbing missouri stream