Tragic and comical, surprising but also has a strange message

Rating: 7/10 (9 December 2017)

In a small town on a small road, Mildred Hayes (Frances McDormand) decides that she wants justice for her daughter's murder so she puts up three billboards calling out Chief Willoughby (Woody Harrelson) for not arresting anyone. She purchases the advertising space from Red Welby (Caleb Landry Jones). Deputy Dixon (Sam Rockwell) is angered by the posters and threatens everyone from Welby to Mildred to try and take them down but no crime has been committed. Complicating matters is that Chief Willoughby is dying of pancreatic cancer. Mildred's son Robbie (Lucas Hedges) is upset by the signs because he has tried to avoid the details of his sister's death. Most of the town turns against Mildred and comes out to support Chief Willoughby.
Mildred experiences backlash even having to drill a hole in the thumb of the dentist in one chill-inducing scene while her face is injected with novocaine. At the local bar, Dixon confronts Red, Mildred, and James (Peter Dinklage), who is addressed derogatorily. Dixon continues to find ways to terrorize Mildred getting an idea from his mom (Sandy Martin) to arrest Mildred's co-worker Denise (Amanda Warren). Chief Willoughby brings Mildred in as the dentist decides to press charges but in the interrogation room the Chief coughs blood on her face and is taken to the hospital but not before insisting that Mildred is set free. Willoughby learns that he will not last much longer so decides to take a day off with his two daughters and his wife Anne (Abbie Cornish).
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