The Little Things (2021) Movie Review
Writer and director John Lee Hancock is well known for his “feel good” movies like The Rookie (2002), The Blind Side (2009), and Saving Mr. Banks (2013). With The Little Things, Hancock takes a stab at crafting a suspenseful thriller.
Joe Deacon (Denzel Washington) is a Kern County Deputy Sheriff who is sent to Los Angeles to gather evidence for a case. The Los Angeles police are dealing with a serial killer on the loose and Jim Baxter (Rami Malek) is heading the case. When Deacon arrives on the scene it’s clear he has a history with the precinct, although we don’t find out the extent of that history until later on. While Deacon is in LA, he becomes entangled in the search for the serial killer by assisting on the crime scene of the newest murder. Others on the force view Deacon as a liability, but Baxter takes a liking to him and begins to value his opinion and instincts.
The rest of the movie involves Baxter and Deacon reviewing evidence and tracking down leads. The most promising lead is a man named Albert Sparma (Jared Leto). Deacon spends some time tailing him and both he and Baxter start to believe he is the prime suspect. From there things go sideways as they tend to do in suspenseful crime movies. Overall The Little Things was much better than I had anticipated. Hancock did an excellent job building suspense, particularly early on. The opening scene of a young woman driving alone on a two lane highway at night was eerie and hit all of the right beats. It was possibly the most suspenseful part of the whole movie and set the tone for what followed.
The reason this movie works at all is Washington’s performance. His face is etched with Deacon’s ghosts and you get the very real sense that he’s a man who unravelled and is still trying to pick up the pieces. Washington and Malek have surprisingly good chemistry together and they support each other as cops and as people. Malek pulls off the young, fresh faced cop who is quickly making a name for himself. Leto tries his best with Sparma but suffers from over acting a bit. He’s creepy enough to raise the hair on your arms but at times it seemed he was trying too hard. As the movie wears on, he settles into the performance better and is a bit more believable.
The ending will make or break the experience of The Little Things for most people. Some will say it was a cheap way to wrap things up while others will admire the risk and shock value the ending provides. The Little Things is entertaining and suspenseful and will keep you guessing as you try to suss out who the serial killer is and what happened in Deacon’s past. The standout performance of Washington and the excellent performances from Malek and Leto make the movie worthwhile. While Leto is getting heaps of praise for his performance, Washington stole the show and made The Little Things entertaining.
John Lee Hancock’s first foray into the crime suspense genre was adequate. I’ve seen other movies that accomplish what Hancock was trying to do here better (see Se7en or Insomnia). That being said, The Little Things can be a fun watch if you’re in the mood for suspense and like the crime genre.
Film or Movie: Movie
You’ll like this movie if:
1. You like crime movies
2. You like suspense/thrillers
3. You’re a Denzel fan
