He bumbles around, displaying blind respect to his Chief, while also going after Hayes for the disrespect aimed not just at him, but at the entire police force. He is constantly unable to do so due to his lack of empathy for those around him. Rockwell disappears into this role, as a racist officer, who wants to nothing more than to hold authority. His underling, the Officer Jason Dixon, is played by Sam Rockwell. We see a man who is simply trying his best to provide closure to her, as he himself is struggling with his own mortality.
Harrelson plays Chief Willoughby, dying from cancer, as he deals with Haye’s attack on his character. The other fantastic performances from this film come from Woody Harrelson and Sam Rockwell. At her core, she is a mother who is upset at the loss of her child and is shifts that anger and hatred towards the government force that she believes should be responsible for providing answers. Every time she’s on screen she mystifies, displaying strength in how she must deal with defending her actions against a public that hates her, vulnerability as she reflects on the death of her daughter, and hope that justice may one day come. McDormand dominates the screen as Mildred Hayes, a woman who rents three billboards outside her town to publicly call out the town police chief, Bill Willoughby, hoping to provide pressure to solve a crime that occurred seven months before. This plot however, is more of an excuse to allow McDonagh’s characters to interact, engaging in sharp dialogue, moving the plot forward at a nice pace. Featuring a talented cast including Frances McDormand, Sam Rockwell, and Woody Harrelson, the film looks into a small rural town as one woman begins to challenge the police force in an attempt to solve her daughter’s murder. “Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri” is the new comedy-drama directed by Martin McDonagh.