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In Bruges
Carrying out his first order, inexperienced hitman Ray shoots a priest during confession, but accidentally kills an altar boy standing in the line of fire. He and his mentor Ken are sent by their boss, Harry, to hide in Bruges, where they are to sightsee and await further instruction. Ken finds the city beautiful and relaxing, while Ray is bored and hates it.
They chance upon a film shoot involving a dwarf actor, which amuses Ray. Ray is attracted to Chloë, a local drug dealer moonlighting as a production assistant. He takes her to a restaurant, where he gets into an argument with a Canadian couple over smoking indoors and punches them. Chloë takes Ray to her apartment where they begin to have foreplay, but her ex-boyfriend Eirik appears and threatens Ray with a handgun. Ray effortlessly disarms the small-time criminal and fires the gun, loaded with blanks, in Eirik's face, blinding him in one eye. Chloë admits that she and Eirik rob tourists, but insists she had told Eirik that Ray was not a target. As Chloë drives Eirik to the hospital, Ray pockets the gun and helps himself to a handful of live rounds as well as Chloë's stash of drugs. He and Ken spend a debauched night with the dwarf actor, Jimmy, who takes cocaine and rants about a coming war between blacks and whites.
Harry calls Ken and reveals that the trip was an attempt to give Ray a good experience before he dies. He orders Ken to kill Ray, on the principle that killing a child, even accidentally, is unforgivable. With a handgun supplied by Harry's local contact Yuri, Ken tracks Ray to a park and reluctantly prepares to kill him. Ray, however, distraught at his killing of the boy, prepares to kill himself with Eirik's loaded gun. Seeing this, Ken stops Ray, informs him of Harry's order and tells him to leave Bruges to have a fresh start. He gives Ray some money and puts him on a train to another city, while confiscating his gun to prevent a further suicide attempt. Ken phones Harry to tell him the truth, and Harry immediately sets out for Bruges, furious at the insubordination. He picks up a gun and a box of dumdum bullets at Yuri's, and Eirik, Yuri's son, learns of his intention.
Meanwhile, police stop Ray's train in the Belgian countryside; they detain Ray for attacking the Canadians and escort him back to Bruges. Chloë bails him out and the two share a drink on the market square beneath the Belfry of Bruges. Meanwhile, Harry spots Ken at a café. As the two have drinks, Harry boasts that if he himself had killed a child, he would have immediately taken his own life. Ken argues that Ray is trying to better himself and deserves a chance at redemption, but Harry is not convinced. Ken suggests they ascend the bell tower for a shootout away from bystanders. At the top, Ken says he accepts whatever punishment Harry intends. A conflicted Harry cannot bring himself to kill Ken, so he shoots him in the leg as punishment for not killing Ray. Eirik crosses the market square and sees Ray and Chloë on a date. He runs up the tower to inform Harry, who is helping Ken down the stairs. Ken tries to disarm Harry, but Harry shoots Ken in the neck before rushing down the tower. Bleeding heavily, Ken drags himself back to the top of the tower and jumps from it to reach Ray first. Ken warns Ray with his dying breath, but his gun is broken during the fall, forcing Ray back to the hotel to retrieve his own.
Harry chases Ray to the hotel; Marie, the pregnant owner, refuses Harry entry, even when he draws his gun. To protect the owner and her unborn child, Harry and Ray agree to continue the chase on a nearby canal. Ray jumps onto a passing barge, but loses Eirik's gun. Harry wounds Ray with a shot from a distance. Ray stumbles into the street where Jimmy's film is shooting; Jimmy is costumed as a schoolboy. Harry catches up and repeatedly shoots Ray with the dumdum bullets. One of the bullets hits Jimmy, blowing his head open. Harry mistakenly believes that he has killed a child and, despite protest from Ray, kills himself. As Ray is loaded into an ambulance, he reflects on the nature of hell, speculating that it is an eternity in the city of Bruges, and hopes desperately that he does not die.