If you haven’t seen the latest movie for streaming services yet, you might be missing out. Ballad of a Small Player is the latest film from Colin Farrell and follows Lord Doyle as he tries to lay low in Macau. He starts working with Dao Ming, a casino employee with his own agenda, as he tries to avoid a private detective hot on his tail.
A casino movie that blurs the lines
Casino movies have always been huge. From Ocean’s Eleven to Croupier, Casino and even Rounders. While they all follow a similar theme, Ballad of a Small Player blurs the lines a bit by taking things in a new direction.
It’s not surprising to see that it’s becoming such a hit either, especially with more people trying their hand at casino games. Part of this is because the online world offers so many beginner-friendly games, which has resulted in the sector growing to $226.90 billion by 2025.
This, combined with the growth of online casino guide sites that display information about games, their odds and how to play, has helped make table games more accessible to those who may never have set foot in a casino.
When you add to this the rise of casino podcasts, which delve into various table game strategies, it’s not hard to see why Hollywood is embracing this movement and running with it. With hundreds of casino movies coming out over the years, it’s a subject that’s been explored a lot, but with that said, Ballad of a Small Player looks to take things in a different direction by adding a cat-and-mouse chase and unique characters to create a fun comedy that differs from the classics for all the right reasons.
An authentic movie experience
The director brought along two people from his hit film, All Quiet on the Western Front. He brought along Volker Bertelmann, as well as James Friend. Producers including Matthew James Wilkinson of Yesterday and Mike Goodridge of Triangle of Sadness also join the team. The film takes place in present-day Macau, which is about an hour from Hong Kong. With lush tropical vegetation and stunning Portuguese architecture, it really helps to contrast the scenery of Vegas, which is what helps make this film such a hit.
For James Friend, it wasn’t just the set that provided the grand scenery; it was the fact that casinos in the area stand out in their own right. According to Friend, the casinos felt like cities in themselves, which helped bring a whole new dynamic to the film and the outcome they were trying to achieve. With the film now streaming globally on Netflix, it has already gained massive traction. The film launched on 15 October with a worldwide release on 29 October. For Colin Farrell, it’s not like anything he’s worked on before, but at the same time, it gave him a unique opportunity to explore things differently.
