In Bruges

In Bruges is the most underrated comedy of the 21st century — a film about two hitmen hiding out in a medieval Belgian city that is simultaneously a pitch-black comedy, a meditation on guilt and redemption, and the most profane love letter to European architecture ever committed to film. Martin McDonagh, the acclaimed playwright, made his feature debut and immediately announced himself as one of the great writer-directors of his generation.

Colin Farrell's Ray is a man destroyed by guilt over accidentally killing a child during a hit. Brendan Gleeson's Ken is his older partner, who finds unexpected peace in Bruges' canals and churches. Ralph Fiennes' Harry is their boss, a gangster with an unshakable moral code that demands Ray die for what he did. The dynamic between these three — young guilt, old wisdom, rigid principle — creates a comedy that is also a tragedy that is also a thriller.

The dialogue is McDonagh's weapon. Every conversation crackles with profanity, wit, and a uniquely Irish rhythm that makes even exposition funny. Ray's hatred of Bruges ('If I'd grown up on a farm, and was retarded, Bruges might impress me') becomes one of cinema's great running jokes. The film's final act, set during a surreal winter carnival, combines violence and beauty in a way that only McDonagh could achieve.