Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri Review

A Truthful Review : Three Billboards

So basically we start off in the town of Ebbing, introduced to our protagonist, Mildred Hayes, wasn't there anybody else? Just joking, she brings a bit of crazy to the table and to be honest, I don't really relate with any of the other characters anyway. Due to the fact that they're all basically cardboard cut outs in the sense that we see them on an visual level but have no sense of their backstory, personality and etc. You get the point right?

I like Mildred Hayes, the character not the name. She's an alcoholic badass that doesn't care for anyone else, which is good quality in a world where everyone is selfish. She doesn't take anything from the cops, who I have to say aren't important to the plot, racist and annoying. Except you would think that she would stand up to her ex, Charlie, who is an abusive piece of trash. That's what really got the blood pumping when she let him walk into her home, yell at her and then start strangling her all because of those DAMN billboards, I'm sorry sir, if you're offended by them then ignore them, you're not obliged to look at them. Anyway getting to the plot, she says the truth on the billboards and directs it to William Willoughby, Chief of Police and Officer Dixon (Mama's boy) gets offended and tries to intimidate Red Welby so much that he removes the billboards. Willoughby pleads with Mildred (which doesn't work just letting you know) to take the billboards down and she outright refuses even when he mentions that he has cancer.

Okay maybe Mildred's character is flawed because she never wants to bond with her kids or should I say kid? That was harsh on my behalf, but just take the fact that she never actually sits down and talk with her son, Robbie about school, especially since she's impacted this by putting up the billboards. Also, in a argument with her daughter, she agreed with her daughter, Angela, when she said that she hoped she would get raped on the way there. I guess she jinxed herself? Then, a struggle occurs between Mildred, Charlie and Robbie. Nope dies though, thank god!

The fate of the billboards is at risk when it's realized that Mildred only paid for the deposit and not the first month. Just in the nick of time, Red's secretary, Pam and she notifies them both that she's just received an envelope full of money, but the giver is anonymous. I guess they'll stay up. Cut to the next scene, Willoughby takes his family down to the lake. His wife gets so drunk that she passes out on the couch leaving him enough time to write the note to Anne and going out to the stable to commit suicide. The sound of the gun going off woke up his wife, who then upon seeing the note; realized what had happened. Cue to a dramatic "heartbreaking" scene, he wasn't even a central character!


Officer Dixon is so clueless to the officers crying around him and when he's finally informed, he goes on a crazy spree; beat up Red; threw him out the window; gave Pam a punch in the face and he doesn't get stopped by anyone! What the hell is up with people in this town, but guess what? He did the whole thing in front of Willoughby's replacement, Abercrombie. Later, he questions why he's fired! Does this movie purposefully wants us to hate him so he can do a complete U-turn and become a better person. Subsequently, we see a stranger walk into the gift shop where Mildred works. We get that you don't like her, but don't have to throw a glass doll at her. Who's going to pay for that? Is it just me that thinks about these things? Probably. This jerk then starts suggesting that he may be connected to her daughter's murder, how messed up is that? Finally, he leaves when Willoughby's wife, Anne comes in to hand her letter that he wrote before his death.



While Mildred and Robbie are driving home, they spot the billboards on fire. Mildred does her best to extinguish them, but they're still burnt to a crisp. Later, we see Dixon go to the police station during after hours to collect a letter from Willoughby. Meanwhile, Mildred realizes that Dixon set her fire to her billboards and in return, throws Molotov mixed drink sat the police station. Dixon escapes the building after grabbing Angela's case file, however, he gets heavily burnt. Mildred runs out as James tries to put out the fire on Dixon's body. After the police show up, James gives Mildred with an alibi by saying she was with him. Grateful, she agrees to go to dinner with him. Mildred is visited by Jerome, who has gotten copies of the billboards after the fire. He, James, and Mildred's colleague Denise enable Mildred to put them back up.

At the bar, Dixon recovers from his burns which is karma for everything. That strange man enters the bar with a pal. He begins gloating about assaulting a girl seven months ago (what an assh*le), Dixon picks up on this and thinks that he's referring to Angela. Dixon approaches him; pretending to be under the influence; getting just close enough before scratching him on the cheek to get his DNA. Dixon gets beat up and stumble homes before taking the DNA out from his fingernail to send in.





Mildred has a super awkward dinner with James; it gets worse when her ex, Charlie and Penelope walk in. He reveals that he set the billboards on fire while drunk and angry, but he was persuaded by Penelope that "anger only begets more anger" (Yes, she actually said this). Then, James gets into a mood and storms off. Mildred almost threateningly walks over to Charlie's table; tightly grasping a wine bottle; but sets it down. I wish she had used it on him. Dixon tells Mildrd that he may have found Angela's murderer, potentially. Abercrombie meets with Dixon to tell him that he was positioned in the Middle East around the time of her murder and the DNA tests don't coordinate. Ugh, now we can't put this jerk behind bars. Dixon tells a disappointed Mildred the outcome and he notes that the jerk is still a rapist and knows where he lives. I'm actually starting to like Dixon now, but it sucks because it's basically the end of the movie.

Mildred and Dixon head off on their adventure to where that jerk lives. On the way, Mildred tells Dixon that she was the one to set fire to the police station, to which he replies "Who else would it be able to be?". Both of them wonder if they should kill him, but ultimately say that they'll decide when they arrive.

In conclusion, this has been one of the better movies, I've seen with a good plot and a strong female lead. Frances McDormand and Sam Rockwell deserved the Oscars they received for their role in this movie. With McDormand excellently portraying the role of a stone cold lady who wasn't going to listen to anyone and Rockwell doing a terrific job at impersonating a typical lazy, racist white police officer who manages to turn his act around to realize that his attitude isn't helping anything. I think it's amusing that the two characters that are polar opposites come together to put down their enemy. I wanted to see what happened when they showed up at the jerk's house.; at least a brief clip of him getting the karma he deserves. It was amazing how they threw in a bit of comedy into this crime movie.

Rating: 9/10