3 Billboards Outside of The Twilight Zone

Rating: 5/10 (7 April 2020)

Actually the Twilight Zone had some mysterious endings that were thought provoking. This piece is a typically 21st Century mystery in that the narrative concludes by simply leaving a question mark floating over one's head. Essentially, this is a presentation of two movies more or less about three billboards. The first half is taut and compelling, promising an unfolding epic saga of potently lurid small town evil. As soon as Harrelson offs himself however, the second misfire of a movie is more or less initiated. The acting is solid throughout, yet the motivations and relationships of the characters start veering toward the absurdly inexplicable for the latter half of the tale. The story provides zero redemption for any of its characters and the crime driven/ whodunnit plot is unresolved. Tensions are established, complications ensue, consequences are implied, only to ultimately fade into an unrewarding denouement. Describing this film as a black comedy is only accurate if you interpret black to mean abstruse and comedy to mean not very funny, especially considering the core of the plot concerns rape and murder, but not necessarily in that order. Finally, our two unlikely heroes cheerfully head off into the sunset, maybe to create some further mayhem in a sequel similarly free of atonement.