Mildred Hayes (Frances McDormand) lives in Ebbing, Missouri with her son Robbie (Lucas Hedges), she works at a local store with her friend Denise (Amanda Warren). Her husband Charlie (John Hawkes) left her for a younger woman, Penelope (Samara Weaving), nineteen and dumb as a box of rocks. Mildred’s daughter Angela (Kathryn Newton) was murdered, raped while she was dying then burned to death and the Chief of Police Willoughby (Woody Harrelson) and his men have not found the killer and have seemed to have given up. Frustrated, angered, hurt and feeling guilty Mildred decided to visit Red Welby (Caleb Landry Jones) at the local advertising company to purchase three billboards down the hill from her house. What she placed on the billboards were messages to the local police to do their job and find Angela’s killer.

It appears that the billboard purchase did something in this town it got the police off their chairs to combat Mildred on her idea. Willoughby is sick and has a good heart and good intentions but feels that the case is closed. Mildred though will stop at nothing, she doesn’t care that the police have no leads she still intends to pay for those billboards for at least a year. What happens though is a mixture of feelings in this town, some by concerned families but more from the local police especially Officer Dixon (Sam Rockwell). This officer is all of deaf, dumb and stupid who happens to still live with his controlling mother (Sandy Martin).  

There is one moment when Mildred is planting flowers near the site of the billboards and where Angela was found, a wild deer wonders up to her out of nowhere, some may think symbolic some make say coincidence but either way it was up to Mildred to interpret the meaning for herself. Is there such a thing as reincarnation? If you believe maybe there is!

Thanks to Mildred Hayes Ebbing, Missouri has made a change for the better grant it fights break out, words are sad, religion is questioned, life is lost, fires erupt and feelings are hurt but through it all lessons are learned and love has emerged within truth and being able to say you’re sorry. In the end, sacrifices are made, lies are revealed, truth is known and a road trip to Idaho may or may not be such a bad idea in the name of justice.

I absolutely loved this film and McDonagh did a great job writing and directing it. It plays as a dark comedy and the actors all play it well. McDormand is truly outstanding as she never gives up for the truth. Harrelson is brilliant from his start to his finish. Rockwell brings tons of levity to his role but has no problem in bringing fierce and scary as well. All three of those actors are the leads that control the story as well delivered as the three billboards but it is many of the supporting characters like Jones, Dinklage, Ivanek and Martin that bring substance to fill in any gaps in the story. Overall this film is intriguing and well worth seeing on the big screen and as for the ending think about it the answer is right in front of your face. There are horses utilized in the back ground and a pet turtle owned by Momma Dixon but none of them were portrayed in a bad light.