Ballad of a Small Player

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2:17

Ballad of a Small Player

R

Oct 2025

1h 41m

Mystery & Thriller

Drama

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Watchlist

Watchlist

Tomatometer

Popcornmeter

48%

Tomatometer

146 Reviews

51%

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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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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Sonny Bunch

The Bulwark

Nov 21

3/4

Not an easy or a pleasant watch, precisely. ... But it looks great, Berger perfectly capturing both the neon-soaked grubby splendor of the casino city of Macau and the grimy muck of its extremities.

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Armond White

National Review

Nov 15

Ballad of a Small Player is a modern version of an international co-production -- what once was a common feature of post-WWII filmmaking shared among nations. Using exotic locales, this production represents globalist insecurity.

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Deal Mae In

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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Bryan B.

@heybryan 7h

Hard to root for someone playing a game that takes the same skills as winning a slot jackpot. Definitely will not get a spot on gambling movies theme night next to rounders and Molly game.

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Alastair S

4d

Amazing film, oof brutal, tender, hopeless, just a brilliantly acted, compelling commentary on addiction and the struggle to escape

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Matthew K.

@MatthewKinLA 4d

I loved this movie. Colin’s acting was outstanding. The storyline was captivating and his journey very interesting. It brought tears to my eyes. I was surprised by the reviews being a bit negative

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Will G

5d

Seems like a film searching for a genre. In some ways it works. In many, many more it doesnt.

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Jerod S

6d

Colin is a joke of a gambler up to his eyeballs in debts. The multinational backdrop is cool - but this ballad meanders to an ending you could see coming.

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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

2:17

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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