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Ballad of a Small Player: Lying Low Isn't Going Well In First Teaser

Lying low and gambling is not going well in the official poster for Ballad of a Small Player from Conclave director Edward Berger.

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Article Summary

  • Netflix unveils the first teaser and poster for Ballad of a Small Player, directed by Edward Berger.
  • The teaser sets a moody, enigmatic tone without revealing much of the film's plot or direction.
  • Edward Berger, acclaimed for Conclave and All Quiet On The Western Front, helms the project.
  • Ballad of a Small Player releases in select theaters October 15, 2025, and hits Netflix October 29.

Of all the films that went viral last awards season, there is a very good chance that no one was betting on Conclave. However, as we have often said, you can't predict what the internet will decide is meme-worthy (see: 🦎). That kind of spotlight might have been entirely unserious, but a lot of people suddenly had director Edward Berger on their radar. We can hope some of them went to watch his 2022 adaptation of All Quiet On The Western Front, but he's also making an appearance on Netflix in October with Ballad of a Small Player.

We got our first look at the film back in July, but Netflix released the official teaser today along with the official poster. The poster is pretty trippy and not bad in terms of design, and the teaser does exactly what you want a teaser to do: it tells us almost nothing about the plot, but absolutely teases the tone, genre, and vibes we can expect from Ballad of a Small Player. At this point, saying that a Netflix movie is getting a brief theatrical run hints that they think they have an award contender because a decent chunk of their films get a limited theatrical release. However, considering the director, the release window, and the cast, who knows?

A vibrant movie poster for 'Ballad of a Small Player' featuring a man, likely Colin Farrell, depicted mid-motion as if underwater, surrounded by swirling green and orange hues. The title 'Ballad of a Small Player' is prominently displayed in large green letters.
Cr. Courtesy of Netflix © 2025

Ballad of a Small Player: Summary, Cast List, Release Date

Lord Doyle (Colin Farrell) is laying low in Macau – spending his days and nights on the casino floors, drinking heavily and gambling what little money he has left. Struggling to keep up with his fast-rising debts, he is offered a lifeline by the mysterious Dao Ming (Fala Chen), a casino employee with secrets of her own.

However, in hot pursuit is Cynthia Blithe (Tilda Swinton) – a private investigator ready to confront Doyle with what he is running from. As Doyle tries to climb to salvation, the confines of reality start to close in.

Ballad of a Small Player is directed by Edward Berger (All Quiet On The Western Front, Conclave) and stars Colin Farrell, Fala Chen, Deanie Ip, Alex Jennings, and Tilda Swinton. It will be released in select theaters on October 15, 2025, and on Netflix globally on October 29, 2025

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Kaitlyn BoothAbout Kaitlyn Booth

Kaitlyn is the Editor-in-Chief at Bleeding Cool. Film critic and pop culture writer since 2013. Ace. Leftist. Nerd. Feminist. Writer. Replicant Translator. Cinephillic Virtue Signaler. She/Her. UFCA/GALECA Member. 🍅 Approved. Follow her Threads, Instagram, and Twitter @katiesmovies.
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