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In Bruges
Focus Features


7.7

based on 33 reviews
Read critic reviews
How did we calculate this?

based on 14 votes
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MPAA RATING: R for strong bloody violence, pervasive language and some drug use

Starring Colin Farrell, Brendan Gleeson, Ralph Fiennes, and Clemence Posey

Very much out of place amidst the gothic architecture, canals, and cobbled streets, the two hit men fill their days living the lives of tourists. Ray, still haunted by the bloodshed in London, hates the place, while Ken, even as he keeps a fatherly eye on Ray's often profanely funny exploits, finds his mind and soul being expanded by the beauty and serenity of the city. But the longer they stay waiting for Harry's call, the more surreal their experience becomes, as they find themselves in weird encounters with locals, tourists, violent medieval art, a dwarf American actor shooting a European art film, Dutch prostitutes, and a potential romance for Ray in the form of Chloe, who may have some dark secrets of her own. And when the call from Harry does finally come, Ken and Ray's vacation becomes a life-and-death struggle of darkly comic proportions and surprisingly emotional consequences. (Focus Features)

GENRE(S):	Action \| Comedy
WRITTEN BY:	Martin McDonagh
DIRECTED BY:	Martin McDonagh
RELEASE DATE:	Theatrical: February 8, 2008
RUNNING TIME:	107 minutes, Color
ORIGIN:	UK / Belgium

All critic scores are converted to a 100-point scale. If a critic does not indicate a score, we assign a score based on the general impression given by the text of the review. Learn more...

100

Chicago Sun-Times Roger Ebert

An endlessly surprising, very dark, human comedy, with a plot that cannot be foreseen but only relished.

100

Chicago Reader J.R. Jones

The movie gradually deepens from odd-couple comedy into Catholic-themed drama, but it remains marvelously funny throughout. Instead of hitting the easy notes of black humor, McDonagh skillfully modulates between broad character laughs and the men's piercing anguish as the story nears its bloody conclusion.

The Onion (A.V. Club) Tasha Robinson

When it's funny, it's hilarious; when it's serious, it's powerful; and either way, it's an endless pleasant surprise.

USA Today Claudia Puig

Sharply written, superbly acted, funny and even occasionally touching.

Baltimore Sun Chris Kaltenbach

Tightly scripted and intricately plotted, the buddy film manages the neat two-step of being simultaneously profane and engaging.

Film Threat Jeremy Mathews

In a film full of great performances, Ralph Feinnes steals the show as Harry, the boss.

Wall Street Journal Joe Morgenstern

The heroes are two hit men, and the tone is often absurdist. But the film is also very funny and surprisingly affecting.

Salon.com Andrew O'Hehir

Dark, hilarious and oddly moving.

Washington Post John Anderson

Those who know McDonagh's work know a vein of darkness will run deeply through the comedy. It has seldom been darker. Or funnier. He has made a hit-man movie in which you don't know what will happen and can't wait to find out. Every movie should be so cliched.

Rolling Stone Peter Travers

A haunting and hypnotic movie, just the thing to get lost in.

Seattle Post-Intelligencer William Arnold

A perfectly titled and thoroughly engaging -- if at times gleefully violent -- black comedy.

Premiere Glenn Kenny

This finale, which piles one bloody absurd epiphany on top of another almost ad infinitum, is where McDonagh lays all his cards on the table -- and his characters are the ones who have to pay up.

Chicago Tribune Michael Phillips

After playing one too many sullen poseurs it’s clear Colin Farrell and Ralph Fiennes had a ball making an inky black comedy seething with grandiose invective.

San Francisco Chronicle Mick LaSalle

Witty and lively, with a soul to it, as well.

TV Guide Maitland McDonagh

Little more than a shaggy-dog tale about two hit men killing time in the picturesque, medieval Belgian city of the title, goosed with crackling dialogue and generous dollops of gore.

Philadelphia Inquirer Steven Rea

In Bruges, at its best, works like "Pulp Fiction" with Irish (and Belgian) accents, digressing into weird discourse and giving a bunch of actors the occasion to shine in small, peculiar roles.

Miami Herald Connie Ogle

Dry humor keeps In Bruges fresh and lively and makes it a whole lot of fun to watch.

Los Angeles Times Carina Chocano

A dark comedy with a melancholy streak and punchy sense of humor.

Slate Dana Stevens

A jolly mess of a movie. Overplotted, choppy, and contrived, it nonetheless has a curious vitality that makes you wonder where McDonagh will go next.

The Hollywood Reporter James Greenberg

Chock full of wonderful lines delivered by a splendid cast, the film toys with the conventions and mostly transcends the limitations.

Variety Robert Koehler

Closer to pics like “The Hit” and “Miller’s Crossing” than to McDonagh’s bristling, funny plays, this half-comic, half-serious account of two Irish hitmen who are sent to the titular Belgian burg to cool their heels after a job is moderately fair as a nutty character study, but overly far-fetched once the action kicks in.

ReelViews James Berardinelli

The acting is top-notch. Colin Farrell, who seems to be gravitating increasingly toward smaller films, effectively channels his manic energy. He and Brendan Gleeson display chemistry in the Odd Couple vein, occasionally giving rise to instances of humor. Ralph Fiennes plays one of the most twisted roles of his career.

The Globe and Mail (Toronto) Rick Groen

The setting is unique, the cast is terrific, the dialogue crackles and, if only there were a plot worth believing, In Bruges might have been a fine film.

New York Daily News Jack Mathews

The banter between these unlikely partners seems inspired by Quentin Tarantino's ingeniously insipid dialogue, delivered with indelible deadpan sincerity by John Travolta and Samuel L. Jackson in "Pulp Fiction." Neither the dialogue nor the characters are as interesting here.

Boston Globe Ty Burr

Fiennes's energy gets the film over the finish line.

The New York Times Manohla Dargis

Mr. Gleeson, Mr. Farrell and especially the late-arriving and welcome Mr. Fiennes have great fun rummaging around inside Mr. McDonagh’s modest bag of tricks.

Entertainment Weekly Lisa Schwarzbaum

Neither star is sloppy, but both are loose and mellow -- a couple of pros who know they're the whole show.

Christian Science Monitor Peter Rainer

It's a showpiece for that Belgian city's medieval splendor. You may want to book vacation reservations upon leaving the theater, although the memory of this underwhelming movie may tarnish the sightseeing.

New York Magazine David Edelstein

For In Bruges to click, McDonagh needed either to get more real or more fake.

Village Voice Ella Taylor

Bruges may be the movie's rather too-long-running joke, but Farrell's shaggy brow is easily the most entertaining thing in Irish playwright Martin McDonagh's first foray into the crime caper.

Austin Chronicle Marjorie Baumgarten

The film's light comedy and dark morality make for an unsettling mix.

New York Post Lou Lumenick

As formulaic in its own way as anything mainstream Hollywood turns out, In Bruges is also a fish-out-of-water comedy.

The New Yorker Anthony Lane

No one wants a movie that tiptoes in step with political correctness, yet the willful opposite can be equally noxious, and, as In Bruges barges and blusters its way through dwarf jokes, child-abuse jokes, jokes about fat black women, and moldy old jokes about Americans, it runs the risk of pleasing itself more than its paying viewers.

The average user rating for this movie is 7.7 (out of 10) based on 14 User Votes
Note: User votes are NOT included in the Metascore calculation.

Sean gave it a10:
Absolutely the freshest, funniest and most poignant movie of the season. And, strangely enough, the most hopeful movie about man's capacity for second chances and doing the right thing. Colin Farrell is a joy to watch him at the top of his game. Brendan Gleason is perfect. Seeing Ralph Fiennes going over the top as the crime boss is delicious. Martin McDonough is the new cinematic voice.

Richard W. gave it an8:
While indecisive in trying to be both a comedy and, ultimately, a bloodbath, Bruges has great highs, some lowbrow humor, and great lows.

Kristina gave it a2:
Bad acting, unlikeable and underdeveloped characters , bizarre and stupid situations, too much blood, ridiculous ending. Wanted to walk out before the end but kept hoping for a memorable or meaningful twist that never materialized. A big waste of $19.00!. My husband and I were both disappointed in this move, but the one good thing about it was that we learned something about Bruges and would like to visit there someday.

Sunil B gave it a5:
I found this movie to be mediocre. The plot was decent, but the movie was quite slow-paced and dragging along at time. Colin acted quite well in it though the whole thing about ragging on Bruges just didn't make any sense. The humor was no ha-ha, from my perspective, but a chuckle here and there. All in all, I would recommend waiting for a DVD on this one.

Tomas V. gave it an8:
A surprisingly funny, engaging plot, with a superb performance by an otherwise inconsistent Colin Farrell. The movie's focus around Bruges was very interesting, and the dialogue between Brendan Gleeson and Colin Farrell throughout was quite compelling. Some parts of the movie were a little confusing, however, in that the viewer didn't necessarily know whether to laugh or feel sad.

Jared C. gave it an8:
Two thumbs up for In Bruges.

Rit B gave it a9:
If Hieronymus Bosch were alive and making movies instead of painting, he would make "In Bruges". Strange, brutal at times, beautiful at times, unpredictable and fascinating.

In Bruges Focus Features

In Bruges
Focus Features