‘Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri’ packed with powerful performances

Refusing to accept that her teen daughter’s murder will go unsolved, a working-class mother (Frances McDormand) rents three billboards on the outskirts of town in hopes of shaming members of the police force (Woody Harrelson, Sam Rockwell) into action.

With “Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri,” writer/director Martin McDonagh (“In Bruges”) takes familiar plot points involving revenge, racism and bad cops and swirls them together into something remarkably fresh, hilarious and heartbreaking.

It takes nimble actors to navigate such tonal shifts and McDonagh gets astonishing performances from his trio of titans. On Amazon, Google, iTunes, Movies Anywhere and Vudu.

Also New to VOD and Streaming

Quest: Shot over the course of eight years in North Philadelphia, this essential documentary provides an absorbing portrait of the Rainey family as they raise their children, work countless jobs, and nurture a community of hip-hop artists in their home studio. The film is at its most compelling as it depicts how the Raineys cope with their son’s cancer treatments and their daughter’s loss of an eye in a random shooting. “Quest” is not a preachy film but it reminds you of what a family is: folks who share a deep love and a determination to survive the problems in their lives together. On Amazon, Google, iTunes, Movies Anywhere and Vudu.

The Revival: When this compelling drama begins, a Southern Baptist preacher (David Rhysdahl) is hoping to bring his fire-and-brimstone congregation into the modern era. But his best laid plans are derailed when he begins an affair with a gay drifter (Zachary Booth). Director Jennifer Gerber fills every frame of the movie with compassion for her flawed characters. And the actors, including Lucy Faust as the reverend’s pregnant wife, practically boil over with raw emotions. On Amazon, Google, iTunes, Movies Anywhere and Vudu.

Line 41: During World War II, when the Nazis banished the Jews of Lodz, Poland to the Lodz Ghetto, the Line 41 streetcar would pass through the streets several times a day, never stopping but allowing the starving, desperate inhabitants to catch sight of riders indifferent to their suffering. In this documentary, Ghetto survivor Natan Grossman returns to Poland after seventy years, and remembers not only Line 41 but also how his father died at the hands of the Nazis. Tanja Cummings’ unique film is a worthy addition to documentaries about the Holocaust. Extras: additional footage.

The Girl Without Hands: Based on a story by the Brothers Grimm, this transporting, hand-painted cartoon is a true original. For starters, the figures are only drawn in minimalist fashion and decorated by director Sebastien Laudenbach with splashes of color. The action revolves around a poor miller who sells his daughter to the Devil. The young woman is too pure of heart to be corrupted but the Devil punishes her by severing her hands. Thus begins the miller’s daughter amazing journey back to the light. On Amazon, Google, iTunes, Movies Anywhere and Vudu.

Rebecka Martinsson Series 1: Fans of moody Scandinavian crime thrillers, meet your new obsession. Ida Engvoll stars as the title character, a successful Stockholm lawyer who finds herself entangled in a mystery involving the death of a childhood friend. Set in an icy town above the Arctic Circle, the series pivots on Rebecca’s decision to team up with a police-officer pal (Eva Melander) to solve crimes and, in the process, confront her own troubled past. It’s a keeper. On AcornTV.

MacGyver - Season 1: In this frisky reboot, new star Lucas Till proves that, like his predecessor, he can get out of almost any jam with a paper clip and some duct tape. Till has nice chemistry with both George Eads who plays a former CIA agent assisting him on impossible missions, and Sandrine Holt as their boss. As remakes go, “MacGyver” winds up being as amiable and unpretentious as the original. On Amazon, Google, iTunes, Movies Anywhere and Vudu.

For The Kids

PJ Masks - Cracking the Case: The wildly popular Catboy, Owlette and Gekko are back for six colorful, nighttime adventures as they assist Night Ninja on his missions and recover the lost Gekko-Mobile. On Amazon, Google, iTunes, Movies Anywhere and Vudu.

Voltron Legendary Defender Season 5: With the latest six episodes, the Paladins face a fresh predicament: they wonder if they can trust Prince Lotor after he came to their rescue in the fight against the evil witch Haggar. Though suspicious, Team Voltron is able to liberate more rebels with the aid of Lotor’s intel. Just as things start to look hopeful, Zarkon strikes, resulting in a shocking chain of events. On Netflix.