“Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri” Academy Award Winner “Contractor” Fox Searchlight’s Ability

Will this year's Academy Awards be a Searchlight showdown?

And in 2017, Searchlight films are also making waves in the awards races. Guillermo del Toro's The Shape of Water , Missouri won the Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri for Best Director, while the latter won Best Picture (Drama), Best Original Screenplay, Best Actress, and Best Supporting Actor at the same awards, making Searchlight films the "center" of the awards race. Usually, studios push their best films toward the Oscars, but in the case of Searchlight in 2017, if you give both films a gentle push, it looks like one of them will reach the top honors.

So what is it about Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri Outside Ebbing, Missouri that makes it so Searchlight-like?

First of all, the main character is not one that everyone can sympathize with. After her daughter is murdered, a mother, frustrated by the slow progress of the police investigation, places ads criticizing the police chief on three billboards. As the incident causes controversy all around, the mother remains undeterred, sometimes using forceful words and actions to push back against her opponents. It is rare to see such a strong main character in a movie, which is what makes it so refreshing. The appeal of the character is that it is difficult to sympathize with him, which is somewhat reminiscent of the main character in " Black Swan ."

“Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri” (C)2017 Twentieth Century Fox

Another is the uncertainty of the genre. Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri is a suspenseful story about finding a murderer, a human drama set in a rural town, a Western about revenge, and a comedy that incorporates black humor and light humor at key points. This blending of genres is typical of Searchlight. Of course, these characteristics can also be applied to other independent films. However, Searchlight is under the umbrella of a major studio, 20th Century Fox Film, and that is why, unlike other independent films, it is easier to cast big stars. Searchlight is the one that can make films with complex protagonists and a genre-spanning style, using A-class actors.

Other major studios used to produce similar independent films, but now Fox is the only one. Moreover, at the end of 2017, it was announced that Fox would be acquired by Disney. Of course, Searchlight will also become a subsidiary of Disney. Will this acquisition enable Searchlight to continue producing films in the same way as before? In recent years, Disney has acquired Pixar, Lucasfilm, and Marvel, and has tended to produce and distribute only films that have the potential to be global hits. This is not compatible with works with strong artistic qualities like Searchlight's, but there are still many works in production at Searchlight for the time being, so we will have to keep an eye on future developments.

Text: Hiroaki Saito

Became freelance in 1997, contributing movie reviews and interview articles to various media such as movie magazines, theater pamphlets, and movie sites. The column is constantly updated on Yahoo! News. Star Channel's program "GO! Theater" introduces the latest released works.

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(C)2017 Twentieth Century Fox

*Information as of February 2018 article publication.