✗ SKIP — Not worth it

Ballad of a Small Player

Name: Ballad of a Small Player
Director: Edward Berger
Genre: Crime, Drama
Released: 2025-10-15
Duration: 101 min
Rating: 5.9
Cast: Colin Farrell, Fala Chen, Tilda Swinton, Deanie Ip, Alex Jennings

2025 · 1h 41m · Crime, Drama

IMDb 5.9 Metacritic 46 RT 49%

Skip it—this is a muddled adaptation of a Paul Theroux novel that never coheres into something worth your time. Even with the Macau casino setting and noir intrigue, the film squanders its premise with sluggish pacing and a lead character so aimless you'll lose interest before he loses his next hand.

Plot

Amid the glittering casinos of Macau, a gambler running from his past—and his debts—becomes fascinated by an enigmatic woman at the baccarat table.

Director: Edward Berger

Cast: Colin Farrell, Fala Chen, Tilda Swinton, Deanie Ip, Alex Jennings

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