Movie Review – Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri

The Oscar buzz is everywhere, the nominations for the Academy Awards have also recently been confirmed adding to the current excitement. Several exciting movies are in the spotlight and one of these is the focus today. Rocking an unusual title, Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri is a darkly comic drama from Academy Award winner Martin McDonagh (In Bruges) that is classified under the genre of a crime/comedy. You would be forgiven for not thinking too much of it but with an impressive seven nominations you can’t help but feel that there’s something special about this one.

Cast – Frances McDormand, Woody Harrelson, Sam Rockwell, John Hawkes & Peter Dinklage

Director – Martin McDonagh

Genre – Crime film/Comedy

Running Time – 1h 55m

I had the opportunity to checkout the movie at a specially themed and classy evening at Ster-Kinekor HQ last week. Great setting and an equally intriguing movie to tow, how did it all pen out and more importantly, is this Oscar worthy flick worth your attention?

The Plot

After months have passed without a culprit in her daughter’s murder case, Mildred Hayes (Academy Award winner Frances McDormand) makes a bold move, painting three signs leading into her town with a controversial message directed at William Willoughby (Academy Award nominee Woody Harrelson), the town’s revered chief of police. When his second-in-command Officer Dixon (Sam Rockwell), an immature mother’s boy with a penchant for violence, gets involved, the battle between Mildred and Ebbing’s law enforcement is only exacerbated.

Officially in cinemas on the 23rd Feb, Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri is one weird but special movie, this is more apparent when you count the collectives (the trailer, the title and the plot) in place around it. The bucket loads of humour mixed with seriousness is what makes it compelling and what will keep many entertained. Anything that has humour done right and isn’t pointless always wins with me, this movie has that and more.

Never have I ever seen a movie like this one and that’s part of the reason why I especially liked…no actually, more like loved it. Everything works, from it’s simplicity to the script, characters and actual plot. Cleverly done, Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri presents a concept that manages to get the right amount of intrigue, humour, entertainment and seriousness. No wonder it has been nominated for an impressive seven Oscars, fingers crossed that it manages get more if not all of these.

Taking into account what has already been said above, what also adds to the beauty behind this movie are the character performances throughout, one which, if not the best, is from Frances McDormand who plays the lead character Mildred Hayes. A true powerhouse whose inspiring in her whole make-up and who her character is. An honest performance that shows a mother whose seeking out justice (for the death of her daughter) in one of the most unconventional ways ever. The supporting cast equally compliments this perfectly with each character playing their own important part in making this flick a truly great watch, so was the enjoyment throughout the screening that as soon as the end credits came on everyone shouted in dismay, my self included.

Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri has an uninspiring title that will put most off at first glance. If you decide not to see it because of that then sadly you are missing out BIG TIME. It’s no secret that I absolutely loved this one and there’s a solid reason why. Honest, simple, entertaining, great script, plot on point together with the characters, this movie is worth your time trust me. Best movie I’ve seen this year so far and that’s why it gets a fantastic 4.5 out of 5 rating from me.

My thanks go out to Ster-Kinekor for a lovely evening, as always, very classy.

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#Frances McDormand #John Hawkes #Martin McDonagh #Peter Dinklage #Sam Rockwell #Woody Harrelson

Posted By

Thabiso Moloi

With many, many years of PR, digital & influencer marketing work under his belt, Thabiso has worked on a great number of technology, business and consumer brands. In addition, he has become obsessed with most things under the sun including music, series, sports, movies etc which he now regularly writes about. You can find him on Twitter: @Thabz_14