‘Ballad of a Small Player’ Review: Colin Farrell Can't Save This Rare Miss From 'Conclave' Director Edward Berger | TIFF 2025

For the last few years, director Edward Berger has been on a hot streak. His 2022 All Quiet on the Western Front was a surprise hit at the Oscars, earning nine nominations — including one for Best Picture — and taking home four awards. Last year, Berger made his best work so far with Conclave, a twisty ensemble thriller set in the Vatican that was one of 2024’s best, and also earned eight Oscar nominations, with a win for Best Adapted Screenplay. Berger has been on a roll, and in just a few years, has become a director whose involvement in a project immediately makes it something worth checking out.