[New Trailer] Colin Farrell Risks It All on Macau Casino Floors in Netflix Thriller ‘Ballad of a Small Player’
Netflix has released the first trailer and poster for the upcoming psychological thriller “Ballad of a Small Player,” directed by Edward Berger and starring Colin Farrell. The film follows Lord Doyle, played by Farrell, a man who spends all his time gambling on the casino floors of Macau.
He struggles to keep up with his mounting debts, until Dao Ming, a casino employee played by Fala Chen, steps in to help him. Meanwhile, Tilda Swinton stars as Cynthia Blithe, a private investigator who is on his trail and ready to confront him about his past.
The movie is based on Lawrence Osborne’s 2014 novel, “The Ballad of a Small Player,” and was adapted for the screen by Rowan Joffé. Colin Farrell leads a talented cast that also includes Fala Chen, Deannie Yip, Alex Jennings, and Tilda Swinton, according to reports.
A high roller on a slippery slope. BALLAD OF A SMALL PLAYER stars Colin Farrell, Fala Chen and Tilda Swinton.
— Netflix (@netflix) August 19, 2025
Directed by Edward Berger, (Conclave, All Quiet on the Western Front). In select theaters October 15 and on Netflix October 29. pic.twitter.com/ufX6x2GDy1
The film is set to premiere at the 2025 Toronto International Film Festival in the Special Presentations section on September 9, 2025. It will get a limited release in the United States on October 15 and in the United Kingdom on October 17, before hitting Netflix for streaming on October 29.
Principal photography began on June 26, 2024, in Macau and Hong Kong and wrapped on August 25, 2024. Farrell was cast in April 2024, followed by Swinton later that month. Fala Chen joined the project in May 2024, and Deannie Yip and Alex Jennings were added to the cast in May 2025, according to Deadline.
The story revolves around a gambler and a con artist fleeing Britain for Macau. “It’s a high-stakes world where luck can turn in a second.”
The trailer shows Farrell fully immersed in the chaotic casino world, facing risks, debts, and dangerous encounters, while Swinton’s investigator character appears to dig into his mysterious past.
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