Colin Farrell returns to the screen as Lord Doyle in Ballad of a Small Player, a high-stakes psychological thriller streaming on Netflix from 29 October and hitting select cinemas from mid-October.
The first trailer, released on 19 August, plunges audiences into Macau’s neon-lit casinos, where Doyle spirals deeper into gambling, debt, and drinking. His salvation—or downfall—may lie in an enigmatic casino employee named Dao Ming (Fala Chen), but a determined private investigator, Cynthia Blithe (Tilda Swinton), is closing in fast.
Directed by Edward Berger, the Oscar-winning filmmaker behind All Quiet on the Western Front and Conclave, the film marks another collaboration with cinematographer James Friend and composer Volker Bertelmann, reuniting the creative team behind his previous successes. The screenplay, penned by Rowan Joffé, adapts Lawrence Osborne’s 2014 novel—a ghostly psychological thriller about a con man masquerading as a lord.
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The cast is rounded out by Fala Chen as the mysterious Dao Ming, Deanie Ip, Alex Jennings, and the formidable Tilda Swinton as detective Cynthia Blithe. Principal photography took place in Macau and Hong Kong, bringing the city's vibrant yet shadowy casino world to life.
In a strategic move for awards consideration, the film premieres in US cinemas on 15 October, followed by UK and Ireland screenings on 17 October, ahead of its global Netflix release on 29 October. It is also set to make its festival debut in the Special Presentations programme at the 2025 Toronto International Film Festival on 9 September.
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