Netflix Users Are Loving A 2025 Crime Thriller With Major Uncut Gems Vibes

While many viewers are getting their spooky season fix with some of the best horror movies on Netflix, others might be looking for a different kind of hair-raising thrill. Fans of the Safdie Brothers' frenetic 2019 crime thriller "Uncut Gems," for example, might be tempted by "Ballad of a Small Player, the star-studded crime-thriller that just hit Netflix and is already proving popular on the streamer.

"Ballad of a Small Player" stars Colin Farrell as a gambling addict trying to escape his past in Macau, where he continues to rack up debt while attempting to evade an investigator from his native United Kingdom. The film hit Netflix on October 29, 2025, and, according to streaming viewership tracker FlixPatrol, has become an immediate hit worldwide. In the United States, the film debuted at number seven on the movies chart and, at the time of writing, is currently number two on the global film charts.

That's a pretty impressive debut for a movie that sort of came and went during its limited theatrical runs in the U.S. and U.K. What's more, it comes from director Edward Berger, who previously oversaw "All Quiet on the Western Front" and "Conclave," which similarly found a second life on streaming when it hit Prime Video in early 2025. Fans of the Safdies looking for more stress-inducing action, however, can rest easy. Berger's latest is perhaps even more fraught than Adam Sandler-led thriller, with cinematographer James Friend heightening the sense of impending doom with some energetic camera work that's complimented by Farrell's intense and typically excellent turn. Alternatively, of course, Safdie Brothers fans could watch one of the many noir classics that embody the same sweaty desperation as "Uncut Gems." But if you want a modern alternative, then "Ballad of a Small Player" is just about perfect.

For "Ballad of a Small Player," writer Rowan Joffé adapted Lawrence Osborne's 2014 novel of the same name. The film sees Colin Farrell's gambling addict Lord Doyle pushing his luck at a Macau casino as he tries to win big, all while being threatened with being turfed out for failure to pay his tab. It doesn't help that he previously stole money from an elderly woman back in the United Kingdom, who has now sent private investigator Cynthia Blithe (Tilda Swinton) to collect what's owed. Doyle claims to be able to win the money, and we follow him as he desperately tries to cover his own debts and make enough to pay Blithe. Along the way, he becomes enamored with casino worker Dao Ming (Fala Chen), who might just hold the key to Doyle's salvation.

Don't be put off by that 51% critic score on Rotten Tomatoes, especially if you're looking for that Safdie-style magic. Even the critics left generally unmoved by Edward Berger's film agreed that Farrell is great in the lead role, and most were complimentary of the cinematography. "Ballad of a Small Player" is not only a solid way to spend 102 delightfully stressful minutes, it's also a clear hit with Netflixers. The film hit number two on the worldwide movie rankings by charting in an impressive 86 countries. It's also at number two in 19 of them and looks set to take the top spot in the next few days. Whether it can do so stateside remains to be seen, but it's almost there already and just needs to trump Kathryn Bigelow's equally anxiety-inducing nuclear war thriller "House of Dynamite" to become the number one movie in the world on Netflix.