Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri Review

The race to the Academy Awards is on and I’ve already started my list of films I have to see before the big night. Number one on my list? Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri.

This film had six Golden Globe nominations (four wins), four Screen Actors Guild Award nominations (three wins), and now an incredible seven Academy Award nominations including Best Motion Picture. Interested? You should be. Three Billboards is pure, original, exposed, comical and filled with some of the best performances I have seen all year.

Mildred Hayes, played by the ridiculously incredible, bad-ass Frances McDormand, is a mother stricken with grief after the brutal murder of her daughter. After her local police department fails to follow through on the cold open case, she decides to take matters into her own hands, as any angry mother would.

Woody Harrelson plays a family man sheriff that tries his best to tame Mildred from causing too much ruckus in their town. Sam Rockwell gives the best performance in his career as a racist, oblivious cop that can’t control his anger or catch a break.

Both Harrelson and Rockwell are nominated for the Academy Award for Best Actor in a Supporting Role. Rockwell, having already won the Golden Globe and SAG award for this role, is my pick to also take home the little gold statue.

Honorable mentions in this film for their performances include Caleb Landry Jones, who you may recognize as the crazy brother in Get Out, and Peter Dinklage, for all you Game of Thrones fans.

One of my favorite things about this movie is the way the music compliments each scene. Notice as you watch — some of the most intense, brutal scenes have some of the most light-hearted music playing it through. That type of opposition between what you are hearing and what you are seeing is brilliant and I love every second of it.

Three Billboards exceeded my expectations and was a breath of fresh air. I haven’t seen a movie this raw and well-performed in a long time. I highly recommend seeing this film, especially before we watch it sweep all the awards at the Oscars in just a few short weeks.

Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri is playing everywhere, now.