The 2025 Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF) saw the premiere of new works from two prominent directors, Edward Berger and Steven Soderbergh, each presenting films that reflect their unique stylistic approaches and career trajectories. While both filmmakers are known for distinctive visions, the critical reception for their latest offerings, "Ballad of a Small Player" and "The Christophers," highlights the unpredictable nature of creative endeavors, with one director facing a surprising misstep and the other continuing a journey of consistent experimentation.

Edward Berger, fresh off a critically acclaimed hot streak with his Oscar-winning "All Quiet on the Western Front" (2022) and the highly praised "Conclave" (2024), delivers "Ballad of a Small Player" for Netflix, a film that critics suggest marks an abrupt end to his recent run of success. The narrative centers on Lord Doyle (Colin Farrell), a high-stakes gambler who finds himself drowning in debt in the vibrant, yet unforgiving, setting of Macaw. Presenting himself as a man of importance, Doyle's facade quickly crumbles under the weight of his financial obligations, including those to British financiers who dispatch a private investigator (Tilda Swinton) to track him. His desperate search for a win leads him to the Rainbow Casino, where he encounters Dao Ming (Fala Chen), an employee who unexpectedly takes a liking to the down-on-his-luck figure.

Despite an intriguing premise that hints at a high-stakes thriller akin to "Uncut Gems," "Ballad of a Small Player" is criticized for its exhausting, over-directed, and shallow execution. The film struggles with indecipherable decisions and a noticeable lack of stakes, failing to generate the necessary tension for Lord Doyle's predicament. Critics point out a disjointed narrative where scenes often feel disconnected, serving merely to propel a script by Rowan Joffeé (based on Lawrence Osborne's novel) that lacks a clear sense of purpose or character motivation. The relationship between Lord Doyle and Dao Ming, intended perhaps as an emotional anchor, is largely deemed irrelevant and nonsensical.

Berger's direction in "Ballad of a Small Player" is described as overly flamboyant, characterized by an excessive use of stylistic choices like Dutch angles and an "absurdly blaring" score by Volker Bertelmann. These flourishes are seen less as enhancements and more as a desperate attempt to mask the story's inherent emptiness and lack of substance. While Colin Farrell is noted for his decent portrayal of Lord Doyle, fully embodying the preposterous character pushed to the brink, the script ultimately gives him too little to do, and Berger's camera, despite the stunning Macaw cinematography by James Friend, fails to infuse the narrative with genuine excitement or stress. The film, which screened at TIFF 2025 and is set for a limited release on October 15 before its Netflix debut on October 29, is ultimately seen as a "tiring mishandling" that leaves audiences uninvested in Doyle's plight.

In contrast, Steven Soderbergh, a director renowned for his prolific output and willingness to experiment across genres and scales, presented "The Christophers" at TIFF 2025. This film is positioned as another exploration of contained, character-driven storytelling within Soderbergh's diverse filmography, which this year alone included "Presence" and "Black Bag." "The Christophers" centers on Julian Sklar (Sir Ian McKellen), a once-famous artist whose success in the '90s with his "Christophers" series, based on an ex-lover, has since faded, leaving him artistically stuck and relegated to judging reality shows and making Cameos to sustain his lifestyle. His conniving children, Barnaby (James Corden) and Sallie (Jessica Gunning), aware of valuable unfinished "Christophers" in his attic, hire Lori Butler (Michaela Coel), a skilled forger, to covertly complete the works for a share of the millions. However, Julian is wily, and Lori has her own hidden agenda.

Co-written by Soderbergh and Ed Solomon (their latest collaboration after projects like "No Sudden Move"), "The Christophers" is described as a chamber piece that thrives on the dynamic between McKellen’s Julian and Coel’s Lori. The film’s initial act, while featuring McKellen's electric performance as Julian rants against art and cancel culture, is noted for a slow build. However, the narrative truly ignites when Coel’s Lori begins her mental chess game with Julian, delivering a performance of remarkable restraint and patience that often speaks volumes through subtle glances and stares. McKellen and Coel are the undeniable focus, and their interplay allows Soderbergh to operate effectively within the narrative's constraints, with the majority of the story unfolding within Julian's apartment.

Soderbergh's direction in "The Christophers" is characterized by a relatively hands-off approach, eschewing major flourishes to allow the powerful performances of his leads to drive the story, complemented by David Holmes' delightful score. The film excels when it delves into discussions about art and its meaning to both Julian and Lori, exploring themes of creation, disillusionment, forgery, and the art of transformation. While "The Christophers" might not rank as Soderbergh's strongest work in recent years, it is recognized as a solid two-hander and another valuable experiment in his continuous effort to test his limitations as a filmmaker. It reinforces the idea that Soderbergh remains an artist willing to take chances and explore new narrative territories, even if every endeavor doesn't achieve universal acclaim, showcasing a director still playing with his style in his fifth decade.