The Little Things

From director John Lee Hancock (Mr Harrigan's Phone) comes the crime thriller The Little Things. Now available on Amazon Prime, the movie stars big hitters Denzel Washington, Rami Malek and Jared Leto.

So what is The Little Things about and is it worth watching?

What Is The Little Things About?

Set in 1990, Kern County Deputy Sheriff Joe ‘Deke' Deacon is sent to Los Angeles for what should have been a quick evidence-gathering assignment.

It's clear that he used to work there but left five years earlier – for reasons that become explained later on.

At the same time, the body of a young woman is found. The detective in charge, Sheriff Department Sergeant Jim Baxter (Rami Malek) decides to bring Deke along for his perspective.

Elements of the crime are remarkably similar to previously unsolved cases and, it soon becomes obvious that a serial killer is terrorizing Los Angeles.

Despite being persona non grata in the department, Deke's cop instincts kick in, and he agrees to work with Baxter to find the killer.

The prime suspect becomes Albert Sparma (Jared Leto) an appliance repair guy. But with no real evidence, no witnesses and very little tying him to the crime, do Baxter and Deke have the right guy?

The cat-and-mouse chase is on but who will outwit who? Uncovering disturbing secrets, the two detectives search for a serial killer but will they get their man?

Remember, it's the little things that get you caught!

The Little Things Official Trailer

Is The Little Things Worth Watching?

While I wasn't expecting a run-of-the-mill crime thriller, given the director and the cast, I was still pleasantly surprised by this clever cop drama.

With a run time of just over two hours, it could have dragged on but the script and story keep it moving along at a decent pace.

All three main characters are, as always, excellent with Jared Leto particularly good as a potential serial killer. However, the twist in the movie comes as a result of a character decision made with such stupidity that I couldn't believe anybody thought it was a good idea.

Essentially, Baxter snaps and becomes so blinded by his desire to catch the killer that he does something so out of character that it turns the whole movie on its head.

I understand that the plot curve ball was necessary to bring the actual point of the movie to its conclusion. And it does lead to one or two unforeseen and surprisingly good twists.

But I can't help but think that it also took the film in a direction that went from credible to eyerolling ‘He did what now??', which is disappointing.

If you can get over that, then The Little Things is a decent movie that crime genre fans will appreciate, if only because it has more depth and nuance than a lot of the films being churned out at the moment.

The Little Things Cast

The Little Things was released in the US in January 2021 by Warner Bros., both in the cinema and, for one month, simultaneously on HBO Max.

As mentioned above, Jared Leto is excellent and received Best Supporting Actor nominations at the Golden Globes and Screen Actors Guild Awards.

Denzel Washington as Joe “Deke” Deacon of the KCSO

Rami Malek as Jim Baxter of the LASD

Jared Leto as Albert Sparma

Chris Bauer as Detective Sal Rizoli

Michael Hyatt as Flo Dunigan

Terry Kinney as LASD Captain Carl Farris

Natalie Morales as Detective Jamie Estrada

Isabel Arraiza as Ana Baxter

Sofia Vassilieva as Tina Salvatore

Joris Jarsky as Detective Sergeant Rogers

Glenn Morshower as KCSO Captain Henry Davis