The teaser trailer for Netflix’s psychological thriller Ballad of a Small Player, starring Oscar nominee​​​​​ Colin Farrell, has been released, advertising the movie’s theatrical and streaming release dates. Based on Lawrence Osborne’s 2014 novel of the same name, the Netflix film has already generated speculation of another possible Oscar nod for Farrell, who plays a troubled gambler and a swindler.

Ballad of a Small Player is helmed by All Quiet on the Western Front and Conclave director Edward Berger and also stars Oscar winner Tilda Swinton, Fala Chen, Deanie Ip, and Alex Jennings. It will have one of Netflix’s rare theatrical releases from Oct. 15, 2025, before debuting on the streaming platform on Oct. 29. Check out the teaser for Ballad of a Small Player below:

What The Ballad Of A Small Player Trailer Means For The Movie

The Ballad of a Small Player trailer finds Colin Farrell’s Lord Doyle hiding out in Macau, wasting his days and nights on the casino floors, drinking and gambling away the last of his money. With his debts piling up, a mysterious casino worker, Dao Ming (Fala Chen), offers him a way out, though she seems to harbor secrets of her own.

However, Doyle isn’t free quite yet. On his trail is Cynthia Blither (Tilda Swinton), a relentless private investigator determined to confront Doyle about the past he’s been hiding from. As Doyle struggles with redemption, the line between reality and illusion begins to blur around him.

Before its theatrical and Netflix releases, The Ballad of a Small Player is set to have its world premiere at the 2025 Toronto International Film Festival on September 9. Once it premieres, it will be easier to gauge the amount of Oscar buzz for Farrell’s performance, but based on the trailer alone, it looks like his intense and increasingly unhinged performance could easily earn him another nomination.

Among his many acclaimed roles, Farrell already has an Oscar nod to his name for Martin McDonagh’s The Banshees of Inisherin, which was a quieter and more subdued performance, and he could very well earn a second nomination for Ballad of a Small Player, which seems to be a much more intense and unhinged performance.

Our Take On The Ballad Of A Small Player Trailer

In addition to Colin Farrell, Ballad of a Small Player could also land its director, Edward Berger, in the awards season conversation. His last two films, Netflix’s All Quiet on the Western Front (2022) and Conclave (2024), were nominated for 17 Academy Awards combined, winning five. Based on the trailer, Berger should continue his H๏τ streak with Ballad of a Small Player​​​​​​.