Three Billboards Outside Ebbing Missouri

There’s a difference between having a movie full of unlikable characters that you hate watching and a movie with unlikable characters that you are still captivated by. The difference here is obvious: its the writing that keeps them from being flat, the directing to lead them in the right direction, and of course the performances which keeps them interesting and authentic. Three Billboards has these things.

Frances McDormand leads this tale of trying to figure out what justice is in a small town in middle America. She uses local advertising as a way to keep the police focused on her daughter’s case, which causes a lot of stir. The story manages to stay fresh and keep you on your toes, as do the characters in general. The dialogue is unapologetic and can be quite comedic, a lot more than I was expecting.

There are some extraneous parts which probably didn’t need to be there, like the subplot with Peter Dinklige’s character or her ex-husband and his ditzy girlfriend, but I didn’t mind so much.  They mostly just added to the colourful cast of characters that populate the story.

This movie has a lot of things to say, some more muddled than other, and it keeps you engaged as it tries to say them.  I quite enjoyed it.

9/10