In Bruges (2008)

These days, an original idea is a rare thing in cinema. In addition to the abundance of sequels, prequels, adaptations, remakes, reboots, reimaginings and reinterpretations thrust upon us each week, so many of the remaining films that get served up on screen are the same stale meal reheated and repackaged.

Yet there's a refreshing delight to be found in the occasional film that manages to take the same old ingredients – to continue with this clumsy metaphor – and turn them into something new and tasty. Which brings us to In Bruges, Martin McDonagh's surprising black comedy that breathes new life into the British gangster flick.

Brendan Gleeson and Colin Farrell play a pair of Irish hitmen instructed by their handler (Ralph Fiennes) to lie low in Bruges for a couple of weeks. Gleeson's Ken is a seasoned assassin with an unexpectedly mild-mannered side, who relishes the opportunity to soak up the atmosphere and culture of the medievil Belgian city. Farrell's Ray, on the other hand, is a novice assassin, tortured by his first botched job, who becomes instantly bored with Bruges.

When Ray stumbles onto a cheap movie being shot in the city centre ("They're filming midgets!" he excitedly exclaims), the duo inadvertantly become entangled with a pair of con artists, hard drugs, prostitutes and a racist dwarf. Things go from bad to worse when their handler, Harry, informs Ken of the real reason behind their exile to Bruges.

It all sounds a bit generic, but McDonagh's script is ripe with quick-witted dialogue and black humour, evocative of a restrained Quentin Tarantino or Guy Ritchie flick. In Bruges is eminently quotable and features some truly hilarious exchanges, including a fiery Harry acting incensed that Ray isn't enjoying himself in Bruges ("How's a fairytale town not somebody's f***ing thing?") and Ray sharing his theory that dwarfs have higher suicide rates (with the exception of "the R2D2 man ... he's still going").

There's also a great sequence in which Ken, alone in his and Ray's shared hotel room, elaborately fakes Ray's exit in order to trick Harry into thinking Ray was there in the first place, only to have to repeat the ordeal when Harry suspects Ray never left at all.

The cast – particularly the starring trio of Farrell, Gleeson and Fiennes – are on top form, clearly energised by McDonagh's unique script. Like Pierce Brosnan, who also brilliantly played a tortured hitman in black comedy The Matador, Gleeson and Farrell succeed in making their assassins relatable, human characters (the latter took home a Golden Globe for his role here). Fiennes, meanwhile, is delightfully intense as the duo's boss. Their strong performances pay off as the film's characters converge for the inevitable shoot-out climax.

The city of Bruges is also as visible a character in this film as the hitmen who descend upon it. Bruges comes in for a right bollocking throughout ("It's in Belgium," the film's characters are frequently informing each other, as if it's the most obscure place on Earth), before its quaint virtues eventually come to light. Having visited Bruges myself, it truly is the perfect city to fulfil its purpose here.

With plenty of swearing and an overly violent climax, In Bruges might not be everybody's cup of tea. But for anyone after a hilarious and inventive black comedy with some star performances, look no further than In Bruges.