The Little Things feels like a relic from a bygone era, and for good reason too. It’s not just that the film is set in 1990- the script itself was written by John Lee Hancock in 1993. The 90s saw a resurgence of dark crime thrillers, from The Silence of the Lambs to Se7en and many other imitators in between. The film echoes elements that feel tired now, almost thirty years after its inception, but perhaps they were more original back when the script was initially conceived.
Joe Deacon (Denzel Washington) is a washed-up LA detective who now works in a smaller county outside the city. He is drawn back into a case that seems disturbingly familiar to the case that left his life in shambles. He is constantly haunted by the ghosts of the victims, who seem to stare at him in judgement. He starts investigating on his own and partners up with his replacement, Jim Baxter (Rami Malek), who is troubled by the case of a missing woman presumed dead. Soon, they discover Albert Sparma (Jared Leto), a deeply unsettling true-crime buff who enjoys toying with the police. But is he the actual serial killer, or simply another bystander?
The story, though dark, never seems to shift gears and get things truly intense, except for the ending. It’s the performances which elevate this film.
Denzel Washington conveys Deacon’s tormented soul well, but he doesn’t get the material to make the character distinct beyond those generic parameters. Jared Leto is suitably creepy, and easily one of the strong points of the film, although there are times when he lays it on too thick. Rami Malek is decent as Baxter, but he is overshadowed by the other two main characters.
The path The Little Things takes in its third act is well-intentioned, although it doesn’t feel like that turn is entirely earned. There needed to be more buildup and more moments where Deacon and/or Baxter mull over whether or not Sparma actually is the killer. The film seems to focus on more the toil that police work brings and the damage it does to investigating officers, but that is belied by the earlier focus on procedural aspects. Still, the ending takes the film to a surprising place, making this one of the few crime thrillers put to film that ends on a dark, uncertain note.
Perhaps, the worst thing about The Little Things is how it ends up being a slightly above average crime thriller. It had the tools at its disposal to make a solid impression, and its failure seems acute when compared to the excellent slate of thrillers in the last few years. The plot, in particular, has been poorly received by most reviewers. Still, a Rotten Tomatoes rating of 47% feels a bit too harsh for The Little Things.
It’s a solid one time watch- slowly paced at first, but things pick up once Jared Leto shows up. It’s a step above most newly released films out on streaming platforms right now. If you want to see Denzel Washington act circles around the rest of the cast, then this just might be the film for you.