Anger only begets more anger

Rating: 8/10 (2 May 2018)

I just finished watching this film and good golly did it leave me confused, not only for the film's climax (or lack thereof) but also because it seemed to be hinting at something much larger in the grand scheme of things. When the film begins, you think you know who's the good guys, and who's the bad guys, then certain events occur and these events force you to alter your perception of the "heroes" and the "villains" in this dark, but moving story of grief and vengeance.
Frances McDormand, perhaps better known for her role as pregnant police chief Marge Gunderson in the Coen Brother's "Fargo", is about as far from "Minnesota Nice" as you can get and still remain sympathetic towards. Grieving divorced mother Mildred Hayes is tough, relentless, and uncompromising, willing to do whatever it takes for justice to be served towards the person(s) responsible for the rape and brutal murder of her teenage daughter Angela.
In supporting roles are Ebbing, Missouri police chief Bill Willoughby (Woody Harrelson), Officer Jason Dixon (Sam Rockwell), the latter in particular playing a deeply troubled man suffering from emotional trauma and instability. The film itself may be considered by some a tragicomedy, balancing a thin line between tragedy and comedy, but I rarely found the jokes all that funny, expect for a few instances, more often than that it came off as annoying or inappropriate considering the circumstances, but that isn't really the point.
To many people who view this film they might come away from it angry and unsatisfied because it doesn't really give any clear answers about it's motives or messages, simply puts them out for the film's characters and we, the audience, to view and draw our own conclusions, much like the titular three billboards outside Ebbing, Missouri. Sometimes it's less about the final destination and more about the journey getting there, as rough a ride as it may be.