The Little Things Review: A Perfectly Serviceable Throwback To The 90s Crime Genre
- naterichard98
- Jan 30, 2021
- 2 min read
DIRECTED BY: JOHN LEE HANCOCK STARRING: DENZEL WASHINGTON, RAMI MALEK, & JARED LETO
RATED R FOR VIOLENT/DISTURBIN IMAGES, LANGUAGE AND FULL NUDITY
LENGTH: 127 MINUTES
The development of The Little Things has been quite the journey. John Lee Hancock wrote the film's screenplay back in 1993, multiple directors were in the running for the serial-killer thriller at the time including industry titans like Steven Spielberg, Clint Eastwood, Warren Beatty, and Danny DeVito attached to the project at certain points, before Hancock finally decided to direct the film himself. Hancock is mainly known for his more populist films such as The Blind Side, Saving Mr. Banks, and The Founder; The Little Things finds Hancock returning to his crime genre roots. The film also is notable for being the second film to release through Warner Bros and HBO Max's controversial day and date strategy, where the film will hit the streaming service the same day as it hits theaters and will stay on the streaming service for exactly a month.
The Little Things is set in 1990 Los Angeles, where deputy sheriff Joe Deacon (Denzel Washington) and LASD detective Jim Baxter (Rami Malek) attempt to track down a serial killer targeting young women. The pair's investigation leads them to the neurotic Albert Sparma (Jared Leto), who may or may not be the killer, but regardless is intent on manipulating the detectives any chance he gets.
The Little Things feels reminiscent of crime-thrillers of the past such as David Fincher's brutal Seven as well as Christopher Nolan's underrated Insomnia, almost to a fault. The film is far from original and doesn't necessarily offer anything new nor innovative to the genre, though that doesn't detract from the film's overall intrigue and entertainment factor. While the film's slow-burn pacing may turn some viewers off, the film itself isn't boring, the central mystery isn't as predictable as one may think and Hancock does an excellent job at handling some of the film's more intense sequences. Thomas Newman's noir-driven score certainly helps add to the film's moody atmosphere.
Obviously with three Academy Award-winning actors headlining a movie, one would expect some pretty top-tier performances. Washington and Malek are rock solid in their roles here, we've certainly seen them given much stronger performance than they give here, nonetheless that doesn't make their work here any less valid. Leto is hamming it up in his role which makes him all the more watchable; it might not always feel fitting to the atmosphere the film is trying to create, but it's certainly still entertaining to watch onscreen.
The Little Things is not going to win any Oscars nor is it trying to, it's the kind of serial-killer thriller that addicts of the genre will eat right up and casual moviegoers will be invested in.
3.5/5 Stars
The Little Things is now playing in select theaters and streaming on HBO MAX through February 28.
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