Ballad of a Small Player

Play trailer

2:17

Ballad of a Small Player

R

Now Playing

1h 41m

Mystery & Thriller

Drama

Play Trailer

Watchlist

Watchlist

Tomatometer

Popcornmeter

58%

Tomatometer

83 Reviews

Popcornmeter

Fewer than 50 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.

Now in Theaters

Now Playing

Buy Tickets

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.

Read Critics Reviews

Donald Clarke

Irish Times

It remains to be seen if viewers feel [the] well-constructed ambience compensates for a rickety edit that feels hurried and half-finished. A classy film that doesn’t entirely make sense.

Rated: 3/5

Oct 24, 2025

Full Review

Robbie Collin

Daily Telegraph (UK)

But the psychological grace notes that make the opening act so intriguing get lost in the chaos – while the climactic twist, served up with the obligatory here’s-what-really-happened recap, asks the viewer...to swallow too much.

Rated: 2/5

Oct 22, 2025

Full Review

Barry Levitt

Empire Magazine

Though Farrell does great work and the film is a visual feast, Ballad Of A Small Player is an impenetrable story of redemption that’s both too obvious and too baffling.

Rated: 2/5

Oct 22, 2025

Full Review

John Stark

Mac the Movie Guy

As a fan of Edward Berger’s, the fact that Ballad Of A Small Player doesn’t work for me is almost painful. But it isn’t as painful as the pacing in this film, which is at odds with its terrific, and far more urgent score.

Rated: 55/100

Oct 27, 2025

Full Review

Stefan Pape

Common Sense Media

This is a stylistic psychological thriller that delivers on multiple fronts.

Rated: 4/5

Oct 27, 2025

Full Review

Violeta Kovacsics

Otroscines.com

Ballad of a Small Player is so enthralled by Macau's sumptuous spaces...that at times everything seems like an excuse to film in these places. [Full review in Spanish]

Rated: 3/5

Oct 24, 2025

Full Review

Read all reviews

Deal Mae In

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.

Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars

10/19/25

Full Review

Mateus O

GG! well done but saw the twist coming

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

10/26/25

Full Review

Evan C

Edward Berger's #BalladOfASmallPlayer is a stylish & kinetic look at gambling addiction & a window into the glitzy world of Macau. As a portrait of a struggling gambler it's well executed. And Colin Farrell is all in. But it doesn't quite transcend it's premise further than that.

Rated 2.5 out of 5 stars

10/18/25

Full Review

Garth N

Flawed, but great. Recommended.

Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars

10/16/25

Full Review

Stephen C

Success in 1 hour and 41 minutes!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

10/15/25

Full Review

Read all reviews

Read More

Read Less

POST RATING

WRITE A REVIEW

EDIT REVIEW

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

2:17

Ballad of a Small Player: Teaser Trailer

1:13

View more videos

View more photos

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

Most Popular at Home Now