Martin McDonagh insists 'Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri' isn't a "dissection of modern-day American politics".
Martin McDonagh
The 47-year-old screenwriter and filmmaker helmed the new dark comedy movie, which stars Frances McDormand, Woody Harrelson, Sam Rockwell and Peter Dinklage, and tackles the kidnapping and murder of a teenage girl.
Although the movies centres on some unpleasant topics, McDonagh is "interested" to see the critical and popular reaction.
Speaking to The I Paper, McDonagh said: "I can only say it wasn't written as a dissection of modern-day American politics.
"Do you say: 'it wasn't intended that way, so it's nothing to do with me'? Not really.
"But do you jump on the bandwagon and say: 'this is what I think of American society?'
"That's not true either. I'm interested to see what the critical and popular reaction will be."
The film follows the months after the murder of teenager Angela (Kathryn Newton) and there is still no culprit.
As a result, her mother Mildred Hayes (McDormand) makes a bold move by painting three signs leading into the town with controversial messages directed at police chief William Willoughby (Harrelson).
When Willoughby's second-in-command Officer Jason Dixon (Rockwell) gets involved, the battle is only exacerbated.
Although the movie follows Mildred's bold move against the police force, McDonagh said the character doesn't start in a "place of hate".
He explained: "Mildred doesn't start off from a place of hate. A place of anger, sure, and sadness and rage, but it's not hate.
"It's almost clinically moving forward and reacting to anything that comes her way.That's the germ of the story. It's just a sadder story.
"To a degree there is no solution to the thing she needs a solution for. Being true to her struggle was the priority for me. Cynicism wasn't a possible fall-back position."
Tagged in Woody Harrelson Martin McDonagh Frances McDormand