Celebrated Irish playwright, screenwriter and filmmaker Martin McDonagh started out in theatre in the mid 1990s, penning acclaimed plays like The Beauty Queen of Leenane (1996) and The Lonesome West (1997) which had a successful Broadway run besides being nominated for Tony Awards for Best Play. In 2004, he forayed into the world of cinema with the short film Six Shooter, which won several international accolades including an Academy Award for Best Live Action Short Film.

Subsequently, McDonagh made his feature film directorial debut with the black comedy In Bruges (2008), which he also wrote. The film, which starred Colin Farrell and Ralph Fiennes in the lead roles, was a critical and commercial success, and earned McDonagh an Academy Award nomination for Best Screenplay besides winning him a BAFTA Award in the same category. The black comedy crime film Seven Psychopaths (2012) was his sophomore outing as a writer-director, and featured an ensemble cast that included Christopher Walken, Woody Harrelson, Sam Rockwell and Colin Farrell. Besides receiving a BAFTA Award nomination for British Film of the Year, Seven Psychopaths was also in contention for an Independent Spirit Award for Best Screenplay that year.

In 2017, McDonagh wrote and directed the drama film Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri, which told the story of a bereaved mother's quest for justice for her murdered daughter. Powered by some great performances and a poignant screenplay, the film went on to be a favourite with the critics and the audience alike, eventually taking the awards season by storm with several nominations and wins. Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri won the BAFTA Award for Best Film, Best Screenplay and Outstanding British film of the year; besides winning the Golden Globes for Best Screenplay - all on its course to Oscar glory. Hangmen, The Cripple of Inishmaan, The Pillowman and The Lieutenant of Inishmore are some of his other notable works as a playwright.