‘Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri’: A rallying cry against brutality

‘She mocked my haircut sir’ — Photos: Fox Searchlight Pictures

Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri is the 21st century answer to Fargo. Billboards director-writer Martin McDonagh uses the same kind of cinematic formula as the Coen brothers did in their Oscar-winning film of combining a compelling story with boldly stereotypical characters, and seasoning it all with dramatic heat and dark comedy to make his movie.

McDonagh’s film focuses on the efforts by a grieving mother, Mildred Hayes (Frances McDormand), to get the local police to work harder on solving the gruesome death of her daughter. After months of no movement, Mildred decides to rent three rundown billboards that she can see from her front yard.