“After I killed them, I dropped the gun in the Thames, washed the residue off me hands in the bathroom of a Burger King, and walked home to await instructions. Shortly thereafter, the instructions came through. “Get the fuck out of London, youse dumb fucks. Get to Bruges.” I didn’t even know where Bruges fucking was . . . It’s in Belgium.”
This critically acclaimed black-comedy crime thriller – filled with razor-sharp dialogue (the word “fuck” is uttered a staggering 126 times throughout the film’s 107-minute runtime – averaging more than once per minute) and deeply dark humour – was written and directed by Anglo-Irish playwright Martin McDonagh, marking his feature-length directorial debut.
The story follows two Irish hitmen, Ray and Ken, who are ordered by their volatile boss, Harry Waters (Ralph Fiennes), to go into hiding in the picturesque medieval city of Bruges, Belgium, after a hit in a London church goes tragically wrong.
While they await further instructions by phone, the older, world-weary Ken (Brendan Gleeson) happily wanders the streets, guidebook in hand, enchanted by the city’s historic beauty and gothic architecture.
Conversely, the childish, foul-mouthed, guilt-ridden Ray (Colin Farrell) utterly detests the city, describing it as a “shithole” while spiralling into a deep depression over the accidental death of a young boy during his botched assignment.
He passes his time chasing women, pestering tourists and getting into scrapes, much to Ken’s exasperation.
Things take a darker, chaotic turn when Harry finally calls with an order that pits the two partners against each other.
Key supporting characters include Jimmy (Jordan Prentice), an American actor with dwarfism filming a surreal movie in the city who becomes a central figure in Ray’s bizarre misadventures; Chloë (Clémence Poésy), a local Belgian woman working on the film set who becomes Ray’s romantic interest, and Marie (Thekla Reuten), the owner of the hotel where Ray and Ken are staying.
“If I grew up on a farm and was retarded, Bruges might impress me, but I didn’t, so it doesn’t.”
Ray
Colin Farrell Ken
Brendan Gleeson Harry Waters
Ralph Fiennes Chloë
Clémence Poésy Marie
Thekla Reuten Jimmy
Jordan Prentice Natalie Waters Elizabeth Berrington Imamoto
Sachi Kimura Eirik
Jérémie Renier Yuri
Eric Godon Denise (Prostitute)
Anna Madeley Kelli (Prostitute)
Inez Stinton Film Director
Olivier Bonjour Ticket Seller
Rudy Blomme Overweight Man
Mark Donovan Overweight Woman
Emily Thorling Overweight Woman #2
Ann Elsley Canadian Guy
Zeljko Ivanek Canadian Girl
Stephanie Carey Policeman
Jean-Marc Favorin Father McHenry
Ciarán Hinds Boy in Church
Theo Stevenson Harry’s Child #1
Bonnie Witney (1)
Angel Witney (2) Harry’s Child #2
Louis Nummy Barman
Ran Yaniv
The story follows two Irish hitmen, Ray and Ken, who are ordered by their volatile boss, Harry Waters (Ralph Fiennes), to go into hiding in the picturesque medieval city of Bruges, Belgium, after a hit in a London church goes tragically wrong.
Things take a darker, chaotic turn when Harry finally calls with an order that pits the two partners against each other.
