Ballad of a Small Player

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2:17

Ballad of a Small Player

R

2025

1h 41m

Mystery & Thriller

Drama

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Watchlist

Watchlist

Tomatometer

Popcornmeter

49%

Tomatometer

148 Reviews

50%

Popcornmeter

250+ Ratings

When his past and his debts start to catch up with him, a high-stakes gambler laying low in Macau encounters a kindred spirit who might just hold the key to his salvation.

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Critics Consensus

Going all in with a committed Colin Farrell and a memorably opulent presentation of Macau, Ballad of a Small Player too often squanders its virtues by doubling down on excess to diminishing returns.

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Tim Cogshell

FilmWeek (LAist)

Nov 10

Colin is just outstanding in this film. He's fully and completely committed to the character.

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Peter Rainer

FilmWeek (LAist)

Nov 10

It's very loud, sleazy, lurid, and decadent -- and I enjoyed it.

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Will Sloan

Sight & Sound

Nov 4

Farrell commits with an energetic physical performance, and Berger’s camera revels in all the flaws of the star’s middle-age handsomeness, but their efforts strain what is little more than a simple, feel-good redemption story.

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James Croot

The Post NZ

Jan 2

It’s not perfect, a mid-section interlude is a touch ponderous and a late revelation lacks the emotional impact it probably should have, but this Ballad is more proof of why both Berger and Farrell are currently at the top of their game.

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Robert W. Butler

Butler's Cinema Scene

Dec 17

B

Toss in Tilda Swinton as a comically stuffy investigator hot on his trail and Fala Chen as the casino hostess who provides a love interest, and you’ve got a good-looking if not terribly deep outing.

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Sheraz Farooqi

CinemaDebate

Nov 24

2.5/5

While Colin Farrell's performance is strong and the production design is great, the script is just too weak to create any real tangible tension in the plot.

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Oct 19

Saw the twist coming, so only half a star off. Colin Farrell is a raw nerve in this, with his character’s blurry need for self-implosion redeemed by his capacity for change. If his world feels decadently claustrophobic when he is at his worst, just wait, the payoff is worth the slow burn.

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Eniola A

@Littlemrs_a 4d

Only good thing about this film was Colin’s performance. Everything else was incredibly lazy.

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Brice B

@LaBrick 4d

Feels good to finally have a great movie on Netflix. Colin Farrell performance is outstanding !

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Matteo C

@Canova28 4d

Great fun movie a must watch

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David F

@dfulmer Jan 9

Nicely captures the neon fun and desperation of a gambling city and its gambling citizens.

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Liam D

@Mediawatcher2003 Jan 4

Edward Berger’s follow up to Conclave is a major disappointment. While it has an fantastic cast including an stand out Colin Farrell but has an script and characters that aren’t compelling that’s more style over substance

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Edward Berger

Director

Colin Farrell

Lord Doyle

Fala Chen

Dao Ming

Tilda Swinton

Blithe

Deanie Ip

Actor

Alex Jennings

Actor

Ballad of a Small Player: Trailer 1

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Ballad of a Small Player: Teaser Trailer

1:13

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Synopsis

When his past and his debts start to catch up with him, a high-stakes gambler laying low in Macau encounters a kindred spirit who might just hold the key to his salvation.

Director: Edward Berger
Producer: Edward Berger, Mike Goodridge, Matthew James Wilkinson
Screenwriter: Rowan Joffe
Distributor: Netflix
Production Co: Stigma Films, Good Chaos
Rating: R
Genre: Mystery & Thriller, Drama
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Oct 15, 2025, Limited
Release Date (Streaming): Oct 29, 2025
Runtime: 1h 41m
Sound Mix: Dolby Digital

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