With the rise of Netflix and online streaming, the market for Independent films has grown dramatically. Films that once would have never been seen outside of Sundance or hipster movie theaters are now viewed by millions-- and for good reason. Independent films, unlike their big-budget counterparts, explore controversial topics and complex, character-based plotlines that are rarely shown in mainstream films; and they do so with brilliant artistry and intense passion. This past year, independent films like "Call Me By Your Name" and "LadyBird" were thrust into the spotlight-- to a lesser extent so was "Three Billboards Outside Ebbing Missouri" an award show contender with far less press than most of its competition. But regardless of how many trophies it was awarded, it was truly the best film of the year.
The lengthily titled, and unpredictable "Three Billboards Outside Ebbing Missouri" tells the story of a mother who feels abandoned by the law; so she uses three billboards to remind the world of what she lost. It quickly becomes a town controversy, introducing the audience to a number of unpleasant and unlikeable characters, including at times the grieving Mildred Heyes. No character is flat, nor their intentions easy to understand. Their actions are human-- at times showing the most complicated, disturbing aspects of humanity. Something, which has created controversy, and likely hurt the reputation of the film.One NBC contributor created a video on what he believed to be an unnecessary race issue; a sentiment others have mirrored. I won't say this is wrong, as it isn't my place to do so-- but I do understand why Ebbing is presented as is. Having grown up in a small, mid-western town, casual racism was commonplace. People used the often distasteful language presented in the film and did so in the same non-sensical manner. It's confusing, and it's disturbing, but it's the truth. And it goes with the rest of the films the uncomfortable action.
When the police act like animals, the town lets them; when violence occurs, people look the other way. It's a dramatized version of a very real issue; people, especially in small-town America align themselves so deeply with their own, little could change how they felt about them. The most atrocious things are disregarded; not mirroring reality, but not far-fetched either.
It also was a movie about change, and how it can mean everything and nothing simultaneously; I don't want to spoil anything, but this is vital. People change, the world changes, but that doesn't change what has already happened. And for these reasons, "Three Billboards Outside Of Ebbing Missouri" was the best film of the year-- at the very least, it was the most important in regards to its politics.
