To See or Not to See: Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri

Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri has the components of the type of “deep” movie that Hollywood loves to love, but, unfortunately, is missing the depth needed to make it truly special.

There are three empty billboards just outside small-town Ebbing. These billboards, grieving mother Mildred (Frances McDormand) decides, will be used to spur the police to continue investigating her deceased daughter’s case. Her daughter was found, by these same billboards, raped and murdered, but the culprit was never found. The billboards read, “Raped While Dying,” “And Still No Arrests?,” and “How Come, Chief Willoughby?”

Chief Willoughby (Woody Harrelson) is beloved by the town and fighting pancreatic cancer so these billboards create quite a stir. What ensues is a battle between Mildred and the police (particularly Jason Dixon, played by Sam Rockwell, a racist, angry cop); Mildred and the town; Mildred and her ex-husband; and Mildred and her teenage son (Lucas Hedges).

Writer-director Martin McDonagh has moments in the film that are quite unbelievable. Mildred is a rather flat character, so driven by her anger and guilt (her last interaction with her daughter is a fight where she tells her she hopes she gets “raped and killed” walking home) that her moments of vulnerability never quite leave her anger behind…and she does things like set the police station on fire and gets away with it. Additionally, Dixon’s violence and racism seem to be cured overnight by one letter from Willoughby telling him that love, not hate, is the answer.

Despite the big Hollywood names and acting talent, Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri does not live up to the hype.

★ out of 4

Photo Credit: Fox Searchlight