Movie Monday: Three Billboards and Brigsby Bear

I initially had trouble deciding on which of these two movies I should do for this week's Movie Monday. Both are films I saw in theaters when I was 17 that left a ginormous impression on me and became two of my top 10 favorite movies ever. Then I realized "wait, that's the whole point of Movie Monday, to talk about multiple movies in one blog post!" So here I am. First, let's talk about Three Billboards outside Ebbing, Missouri.

Three Billboards outside Ebbing, Missouri is a film that I know is going to stick with me for the rest of my life. I would be a blind and ignorant fool if I called it a perfect movie. Chief Willoughby's subplot is underdeveloped, there's a flashback that ends in the corniest possible way, the purpose for including Mildred's ex-husband isn't properly communicated at all. This is not Martin McDonagh's best script. But everything else about the movie is so fucking good that it allows me to overlook the film's faults. The characters are extremely memorable, the film is filled with scenes that are awe-inspiring (Dixon's confrontation with Red Welby is unforgettable, and the cough scene is outstanding), the acting is deservedly acclaimed. I love the music so much, Carter Burwell is a composer that I think deserves more recognition. It's fascinating to me how divided people are about the film's portrayal of rural midwestern America (admittedly, the film was shot in North Carolina and probably should've taken place there too) and it's been interpreted as an underdeveloped commentary on race and revenge. But that's not what I see. I see a beautiful film about grief and people's reactions to it. The minute details are superfluous to me when you have scenes like the one with the deer. A little goofy, sure, but it's so brilliant. I love Three Billboards outside Ebbing, Missouri, and even if I understand why someone else wouldn't like it or at least think it's deeply flawed, I'm still going to recommend it until the day I die.

Now for the polar opposite: Brigsby Bear.

There's a high chance that no one reading this has ever seen or even heard of Brigsby Bear. There are two very different plot summaries for the movie, one of them gives away a major detail about the film but because it's revealed after the first 10 minutes a lot of people don't consider it a spoiler. But most official descriptions for the film don't reveal this so I advise people go in cold. If I could say nothing and just say "go watch it blind" that's all I would say.

Brigsby Bear is one of my favorite movies of all time because of its tone. The film depicts themes of trauma, autism (I don't think it's ever explicitly said but it's pretty obvious), fandom and many other themes and does so in a very lighthearted tone. It's a comedy while not treating some of the serious situations as a joke or a punchline. It's a film that aims to focus on the joys of fandom and what it's like to be a fan of a TV show and wanting to spread that joy with everyone you know. It's a film that speaks to me in a way that most don't. It's an uplifting film about the passion for creation and personally I can't recommend it enough. I love this little movie.