A pair of Canadian diners seated next to Ray get punched unconscious because they complain about his cigarette smoke.

On the set of a movie shooting in town, the boys come across the sight of a dwarf American actor (Jordan Prentice) throws Ray into paroxysms of gawping, un-PC excitement. At the set, Ray is also enchanted by beautiful Chloe (Clemence Poesy), who is not the pure princess she appears to be. A petty grifter herself, she leads him into a fateful barroom brawl and later a gruesome showdown with her partner in crime (Jeremie Renier), posing as her jealous boyfriend.

Martin McDonagh, who scripted the scenes while at the helm, plays two seasoned actors off against each other, creating an involving serio-comic thriller that in a few scenes could have used subtitles given the heavy, barely understandable Dubliner accent. The intent of "In Bruges" is to trigger a dark action comedy, eager to excite the audience with a bold display of bloodshed and cynical musings on Laurel and Hardy hitmen life. And while the roles are big, broad, violent, and strategically funny, McDonagh's story deteriorates into a more unorthodox journey for the characters that involves heavy drug use, Ray's fascination with dwarves, and pie-eyed discussion about the ongoing racial issues between whites and blacks.