Strong, dark and funny

Rating: 10/10 (1 May 2018)

Mildred Hayes' daughter was murdered in the small town of Ebbing and, seven months later, her killer is no closer to being found. So Mildred rents 3 large drive-by billboards on which she posts provocative messages directed at police chief Willoughby. And they do, indeed, stir things up.
Martin McDonagh writes and directs. His first feature, In Bruges, was a dark and savage black comedy. His next was the forgettable Seven Psychopaths, but he is back on form again with Three Billboards. Everything you expect from the trailer is here, but there is a great deal more. In particular, there is one crucial plot development which, thankfully, isn't even hinted at in the trailer.
The story is original, and the dialogue (which includes some very strong language) is fabulous. For such a dark story, a lot of it is laugh-out-loud funny. It is also very human: there is one flashback scene which finishes with something so brutally heartbreaking I nearly cried out loud with pain in the cinema.
I'm not a big fan of Frances McDormand but, by heavens, she is good in this. Best actress Oscar good (as we now know). Woody Harrelson isn't far behind, and Sam Rockwell is solid, too, suffering only from a character whose development arc doesn't completely convince. And the conclusion is bold and, again, nowhere near expectations.
This is a remarkable and original movie, and highly recommended if you don't mind something on the strong side.