Bits and pieces are wonderful but the whole doesn't add up to a great picture.

Rating: 6/10 (27 October 2017)

So far, this film has an IMDb rating of 8.3...and this is extraordinarily high. But the film has been in festivals and I am sure the rating will change some when the film is in general release. As for me, I think it's incredibly overrated.
The story is about an angry mom, Mildred (Frances McDormand). Her daughter was brutally murdered and raped...and the police haven't been able to do anything with the case. So, in desperation and anger, she rents out three billboards and calls the local Police Chief (Woody Harrelson) to task for this. Surprisingly, most of the town comes down against Mildred...who was just exercising her First Amendment rights. What happens from there...well, just see the film.
There were many wonderful scenes and characters in this picture. But, there were also many main characters who were just god-awful and unlikable...including Mildred! In fact, later in the film when she thinks the police department has wronged her, she burns down the building and accidentally flames one of the cops! So, no one who is a main character in the film is nice or likable...making this movie a bit of a hard-sell. Too much cussing (even by 2017 standards), very crude language and overall nastiness prevent this one from being a must- see film.