A Gritty Star-Studded Thriller Is Hitting Netflix Very Soon

The Netflix machine continues to churn in October 2025, with a host of movies and shows hitting the streamer, including the 2025 horror legacy sequel "I Know What You Did Last Summer." Now, the Colin Farrell-led thriller "Ballad of a Small Player" is set to hit the streamer on October 29, 2025, giving Netflixers a chance to experience what looks to be a truly intense 102 minutes.

"Ballad of a Small Player" comes from writer Rowan Joffé, who based his screenplay on Lawrence Osborne's 2014 novel of the same name. Directed by "All Quiet on the Western Front" and "Conclave" filmmaker Edward Berger, "Ballad of a Small Player" couldn't be further removed from those recent triumphs. That is, at least, in terms of its look and tone. Don't expect any of the quietly simmering intensity of "Conclave" here. Instead, Berger's psychological thriller uses the meretricious environs of its casino setting to present a much more highly-charged experience centered on Farrell's gambling addict Lord Doyle trying desperately to make up his significant debt.

Having swindled money from an elderly woman in his native United Kingdom, Doyle tries to escape his past by spending his days in a Macau casino, where he lives like a king. But his debts are catching up to him, and despite trying to drown his woes in a steady stream of alcohol, Doyle is on the verge of losing his decadent suite and completely burning out. Suddenly, however, he finds a possible solution after casino worker Dao Ming (Fala Chen) writes some numbers on his palm. Unfortunately for him, the private investigator Cynthia Blithe (Tilda Swinton) is watching his every move as part of her mission to retrieve the fortune Doyle stole from her client back in the U.K.

"Ballad of a Small Player" made its world premiere at the 2025 Telluride Film Festival ahead of its limited theatrical release in the United States and the United Kingdom in October. But despite being Edward Berger's follow-up to his widely-praised (and Oscar-winning) mature thriller "Conclave," the film didn't make much of a splash upon hitting the film festival circuit. Now, with the movie headed to Netflix, that's sure to change.

"Ballad of a Small Player" might only have a 56% critic score on Rotten Tomatoes, but films with much worse ratings have fared incredibly well on the Netflix charts. What's more, several critics were very impressed with the movie. Cinematographer James Friend's style has been singled out for praise, as has Colin Farrell's performance, which has been almost universally celebrated. Rolling Stone's David Fear noted that "Ballad of a Small Player" waits until the final act to "truly put all of its chips on its lead," which, according to the critic, turns out to be "a smart bet." Meanwhile, Carla Renata of The Wrap found the film to be "campy and bombastic at its core," but surmised that it's "ultimately a movie about second chances touting a magnificent charmed performance from Colin Farrell." In his mostly negative review for Variety, even Peter Debruge admitted that "visually, it's a stunning, vibrant film, as detailed and decadent as Paolo Sorrentino's 'The Great Beauty.'"

So, when Farrell's frenetic thriller finally reaches Netflix on (once more for good measure) October 29, 2025, it should be well worth a watch. Otherwise, there are plenty of great horror movies on Netflix to check out for the spooky season.