Blueprint Pictures (United Kingdom): 5

The crime drama film, Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri (2017), written, directed, and co-produced by Martin McDonagh, follows Mildred Hayes in the fictional town of Ebbing. Seven months after her teenage daughter Angela was raped and murdered, Mildred is still grieving and frustrated with the lack of progress in the investigation. To draw attention to the case, she rents three abandoned billboards near her home and displays provocative messages: ‘Raped While Dying’, ‘And Still No Arrests?’, ‘How Come, Chief Willoughby?’. Her actions catch the attention of Bill Willoughby, the ...

The Outcast (2015), a two-part television adaptation of Sadie Jones’ debut novel, premiered on BBC One in July 2015. Ten-year-old Lewis Aldridge witnesses his mother’s drowning during a picnic and is left traumatized. His father, who is emotionally distant, struggles to cope and eventually remarries Alice. Despite her efforts, Lewis’ new stepmother is unable to connect with him. As he enters adolescence, Lewis becomes the target of taunts related to his mother’s death and starts harming himself. After setting the local church ablaze, he serves time behind bars ...

Seven Psychopaths (2012) is a film, directed and co-produced by Martin McDonagh. Marty, an alcoholic writer in Los Angeles, is struggling with his new screenplay of the same name. Although he has the title, he lacks the characters to fill it. His best friend Billy, a struggling actor, makes money by kidnapping dogs for rewards. Hans, Billy’s partner-in-crime, is devoted to his religious beliefs and caring for his wife Myra who has cancer. While Billy wants to collaborate with Marty on the screenplay, he feels too embarrassed to ask directly. In hopes of persuading Marty, Billy shows him a newspaper article about ...

Now Is Good (2012), a teen romantic drama film by Ol Parker, is based on the novel Before I Die by Jenny Downham. The story follows Tessa, a 17-year-old battling terminal acute lymphoblastic leukemia. With help from her best friend Zoey, she works through an undisclosed bucket list before her impending death. Tessa’s father joins her on a radio talk show and together they use humor to cope with her diagnosis. Despite feeling guilty for taking attention away from her brother Cal, Tessa shows him love and care and dedicates special days just for him. Her ...

In his directorial debut, Martin McDonagh brings us In Bruges (2008), a black comedy-drama crime thriller. Following orders, inexperienced hitman Ray unintentionally shoots a young boy instead of his target, a priest during confession. Along with his mentor Ken, Ray travels to Bruges as instructed by their employer Harry, to wait for further instructions. While Ken finds the city enchanting and peaceful, Ray is unimpressed and unhappy. However, their boredom is momentarily interrupted when they come across a movie being filmed with a dwarf actor. This entertains Ray greatly. During his time in Bruges, Ray also meets Chloë – a local drug dealer who is working as ...