Where was Ballad of a Small Player filmed? Complete guide to all filming locations and other production details

The 2025 British thriller Ballad of a Small Player has been the year's most highly anticipated title, and with good reason. Directed by All Quiet on the Western Front director Edward Berger and featuring Colin Farrell, the movie leads viewers into the hazy casinos and neon-lit roads of Macau.

Based on Lawrence Osborne's award-winning 2014 novel of the same name, Ballad of a Small Player showcases guilt, greed, and redemption in a world where fortunes shift quicker than fidelity.

Opening at the 52nd Telluride Film Festival on August 29, 2025, Ballad of a Small Player was notable for both its evocative imagery and Farrell's compelling performance as the ethically tormented gambler, Lord Doyle.

The movie was subsequently released in some U.S. theaters on October 15, then in the U.K. on October 17, before its global release on Netflix on October 29. Produced jointly by Germany and the United Kingdom, the movie is a culmination of a renowned cast that features Fala Chen, Tilda Swinton, Deanie Ip, and Alex Jennings.

Filming details of Ballad of a Small Player explored

Ballad of a Small Player (Image Via Netflix)

Ballad of a Small Player was mostly shot in Macau, China, with some scenes set in Hong Kong. The production utilized the city's vibrant cityscape to great lengths, combining its colonial-era facades with contemporary casino high-rises to mirror the novel's elements of moral deterioration and waning glory.

Principal photography was commenced on June 26, 2024, and it went on till August 25, 2024. Shooting places in Macau were actual casino floors, dark alleys, and the city's signature waterfront promenade. Shooting on location instead of using built sets lent Ballad of a Small Player an inimitable realism.

Director Edward Berger collaborated with cinematographer James Friend to develop the film's lush, textured look. Production was done through Good Chaos, Nine Hours, and Stigma Films, and Berger also co-produced.

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What is Ballad of a Small Player about and who stars in it?

The film is about Lord Doyle (Colin Farrell), a disillusioned gambler on the run in Macau, as he descends into a world of danger, remorse, and situational morality. Doyle haunts casino tables by day and night, drinks to excess, and plays for higher stakes than he can cover.

Deep in debt and on the brink of bankruptcy, his fortunes appear to shift when he encounters Dao Ming (Fala Chen), an enigmatic casino staff with secrets of her own.

As events unravel, Doyle's past begins to catch up with him when a private investigator, Cynthia Blithe (Tilda Swinton), shows up in hot pursuit, threatening to reveal what he's been hiding.

Amidst the seedy existence of Macau's casinos and illusions of redemption, Doyle gets caught up in a psychological cat-and-mouse game that pushes his sanity and morality to the limits.

Colin Farrell gives a creepy performance as Doyle, who is lost in the fog of his own complicity. Fala Chen provides depth and enigma in the role of Dao Ming, and Tilda Swinton stars as Cynthia Blithe, the detective who is hell-bent on uncovering the truth. Hong Kong film legend Deanie Ip plays Grandma, and Alex Jennings stars as Adrian Lippett, a character connected to Doyle's past.

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The movie is set to release on October 17, 2025.

Edited by Sakshi Singh