Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri (2017)

A mother personally challenges the local authorities to solve her daughter's murder when they fail to catch the culprit.

Director:

Martin McDonagh

Writer:

Martin McDonagh

Stars:

Frances McDormand, Woody Harrelson, Sam Rockwell

Top Rated Movies #149 | Won 2 Oscars. Another 123 wins & 219 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Frances McDormand	...	Mildred
Caleb Landry Jones	...	Red Welby
Kerry Condon	...	Pamela
Sam Rockwell	...	Dixon
Alejandro Barrios	...	Latino
Jason Ledford	...	Latino #2
Darrell Britt-Gibson	...	Jerome
Woody Harrelson	...	Willoughby
Abbie Cornish	...	Anne
Riya May Atwood	...	Polly
Selah Atwood	...	Jane
Lucas Hedges	...	Robbie
Zeljko Ivanek	...	Desk Sergeant
Amanda Warren	...	Denise
Malaya Rivera Drew	...	Gabriella

Storyline

THREE BILLBOARDS OUTSIDE EBBING, MISSOURI is a darkly comic drama from Academy Award nominee Martin McDonagh (In Bruges). 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 (Academy Award winner 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.

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Plot Keywords:

billboard | police brutality | black comedy | ambiguous ending | small town | 

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Genres:

Comedy | Crime | Drama

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated R for violence, language throughout, and some sexual references

Details

Official Sites:

Official Facebook Official Site

Country:

UK USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

1 December 2017 (USA)

Also Known As:

Three Billboards

Filming Locations:

Asheville, North Carolina, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$15,000,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend USA:

$322,168, 12 November 2017

Gross USA:

$54,513,740

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$159,210,164

Company Credits

Production Co:

Blueprint Pictures, Film 4, Fox Searchlight Pictures

Technical Specs

Runtime:

115 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

First full-length film in which Writer and Director Martin McDonagh did not use a song from The Walkmen in the soundtrack.

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Goofs

In a scene near the end of the film that takes place in the Town Pump Tavern, Crop Haired Guy and Pal are sitting in a booth having bottles of beer. The label on their beer is from the Duck Rabbit Brewing Company which is not distributed outside of the North Carolina area where this movie was shot. This beer is not available in Missouri.

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Quotes

[first lines]
Mildred Hayes: [walking into his office] You Red Welby?
Red Welby: Yes, ma'am. How may I help you?
Mildred Hayes: I heard there's three billboards out on Drinkwater Road. You're in charge of renting them out, that right?
Red Welby: I didn't know we had any billboards out on Drinkwater. Where is Drinkwater Road?
Mildred Hayes: It's a road out past the Sizemore turn-off. Nobody uses it since the freeway got put in.
Red Welby: You are right. Got three billboards out there. Nobody's put nothing up out there since 1986. That was 'Huggies'.
Mildred Hayes: How much to rent out all...
[...]

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Connections

Featured in CTV National News: Episode dated 2 March 2018 (2018)

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Soundtracks

Streets of Laredo
(uncredited)
Traditional
Sung by Sam Rockwell

User Reviews

A thought-provoking and darkly comedic drama with lots to say.

"Three Billboards outside Ebbing, Missouri" marks a milestone for writer/directer Martin McDonagh and is an idea piece on a mother's struggle with her town after posting billboards containing a call to action in regards to her murdered daughter. With outstanding screen writing and near perfect editing, this powerhouse of a film is easily one of the best all year and is driven with force and intensity by its lead, Frances McDormand.

What begins as a narrow and focused drama, gradually escalates to a film with big themes and ideas, relevant social commentary, and much more subplots than anticipated. "Three Billboards outside Ebbing, Missouri" is packed with questions and a few answers about anger, revenge, violence, and kindness. The story shows people in a realistic light I've never quite seen before. We're presented with characters and their genuine emotions. Nothing feels sugarcoated of fluffed but it never lacks emotional impact either.

The movie balances its seemingly contradictory tones beautifully by crafting a dark comedy that feels heavy due to strong subject matter, while at the same time, utilizing comedic moments that feel completely natural to the character's motivations. It's obvious great care was taken into this script and the method in which it's constructed.

One of the most talked about elements to this film are the strong performances; particularly by Frances McDormand and Sam Rockwell. Rightfully so, this is some of their best (if not their best) work these eyes have beheld and they steal the show in every film they're in. That's not take away from Woody Harrelson and Lucas Hedges, as well as the entire cast who give memorable performances and paint shockingly believable characters that we feel we know personally.

If there is anything that might turn audiences away from this film, it might be its harsh subject matter despite none of it every being depicted as well as its language and execution with the material. Personally, this has a strong impact and I wouldn't have changed anything about it. It's a highly recommended film with a lot to ponder at the end and is definitely a contender for best movie of the year. Definitely don't miss this one.