Overview
- The Macau-set thriller from director Edward Berger begins streaming globally on Netflix today after a brief October theatrical run.
- Adapted by Rowan Joffé from Lawrence Osborne’s 2014 novel, the film follows an expatriate baccarat gambler whose invented persona draws mounting pressure.
- Critics widely praise Colin Farrell’s lead turn, with notices also citing Fala Chen and a brief appearance by Tilda Swinton among the supporting cast.
- Reviewers single out James Friend’s saturated neon-noir cinematography and Volker Bertelmann’s thunderous score as defining the film’s atmosphere.
- Several outlets fault the screenplay for thin characterization, uneven pacing, and over-stylization, with one review noting the trailer suggests a more propulsive film than the final cut delivers.