Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri

In the fictional town of Ebbing, Missouri, Mildred Hayes is grieving over the rape and murder of her teen daughter, Angela, seven months earlier. Angry over the lack of progress in the investigation, she rents three disused billboards near her home and posts on them: "Raped While Dying", "And Still No Arrests?", "How Come, Chief Willoughby?". Many townspeople are upset by the billboards for singling out local police chief Bill Willoughby, whose pancreatic cancer diagnosis is an open secret. Willoughby visits Mildred to persuade her to take them down, but is unsuccessful. He renews his efforts to solve the case, but does not get anywhere.