Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri (2017)

In this article, we will be looking at 2019’s book “1001 Movies to See Before You Die” and going through each film in a random order that I have chosen. We will be looking at what constitutes this film to be on the list and whether I think this film deserves to be here at all. I want to make perfectly clear that I won’t be revealing details from this book such as analyses by film reporters who have written about the film in question, so if you want the book itself you’ll have to buy it. But I will be covering the book’s suggestions on which films should be your top priority. I wouldn’t doubt for a second that everyone reading this article has probably watched many of these movies anyway. But we are just here to have a bit of fun. We’re going to not just look at whether it should be on this list but we’re also going to look at why the film has such a legacy at all. Remember, this is the 2019 version of the book and so, films like “Joker” will not be featured in this book and any film that came out in 2020 (and if we get there, in 2021). So strap in and if you have your own suggestions then don’t hesitate to email me using the address in my bio. Let’s get on with it then.

Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri (2017) dir. by Martin McDonagh

A film written and directed by Martin McDonagh, starring the legendary Frances McDormand, the great Woody Harrelson and one of my personal favourite actors, Sam Rockwell - this film is one of the greatest we have seen of the 21st Century. The Southern Gothic style, the brilliance of the fire scene at the station and the amazing storyline are just some of the things that make this film not only memorable but also re-watchable as hell.

It was released at the 74th Venice Film Festival on the 4th of September 2017 and had screenings at the Toronto International Film Festival and the San Sebastian International Film Festival, the BFI Festival, the Zurich Film Festival and the Mar del Plata International Film Festival. It went on to get a 90% rating on Rotten Tomatoes with the critics’ consensus reading:

"Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri deftly balances black comedy against searing drama – and draws unforgettable performances from its veteran cast along the way.” Variety went on to state: "It's Mildred's glowering refusal to back down that defines her, and McDormand brilliantly spotlights the conflicted humanity beneath the stony façade…”

Even though the film was lauded with applause and great reviews, some were less enthusiastic because of the ‘outdated’ portrayal of small-town America. The writer for The New York Times, Manohla Dargis wrote:

"[McDonagh's] jokes can be uninterestingly glib with tiny, bloodless pricks that are less about challenging the audience than about obscuring the material's clichés and overriding theatricality.”

Whilst “The New Yorker” stated that the images and set were ‘magnificently photographed…’ they also stated it was ‘empty of emotional intelligence…’

There were many awards won by this movie including the following in this list:

• AACTA Best Film
• AACTA Best Screenplay
• AACTA Best Supporting Actor for Sam Rockwell
• Academy Award (Best Actress) for Frances McDormand
• Academy Award (Best Supporting Actor) for Sam Rockwell
• American Film Institute’s Top Ten Films of the Year
• BAFTA Award (Best Supporting Actor) for Sam Rockwell
• BAFTA Award (Best Actress) for Frances McDormand
• BAFTA Award for Best British Film
• BAFTA Award for Best Film
• BAFTA Award for Best Original Screenplay
• Critics’ Choice Award for Best Actress for Frances McDormand
• Critics’ Choice Award for Best Supporting Actor for Sam Rockwell
• Critics’ Choice Award for Best Acting Ensemble
• Golden Globe for Best Actress for Frances McDormand
• Golden Globe for Best Drama
• Golden Globe for Best Screenplay
• Golden Globe for Best Supporting Actor for Sam Rockwell

There are so many awards received for this film that if I included them all here we would actually be sitting here all day and honestly, I really cannot be bothered to include them all. Here are the ones that we have heard of the most and honestly, you cannot say that this film does not deserve its awards. It is, in my opinion, one of the best films of the 21st Century.