“Deputy Sheriff Joe "Deke" Deacon joins forces with Sgt. Jim Baxter to search for a serial killer who's terrorizing Los Angeles. As they track the culprit, Baxter is unaware that the investigation is dredging up echoes of Deke's past, uncovering disturbing secrets that could threaten more than his case.”
The Good
The Little Things is the latest big release for HBO Max, available on the streaming service the same day it hits theaters (January 29th). A procedural slow-burn crime thriller, the cast is just about as impressive as you will find on paper these days. The big three anchoring the cast is Denzel Washington, Rami Malek, and Jared Leto. Like I said, stacked. You will also recognize the majority of the supporting cast including Chris Bauer (True Blood), Natalie Morales (Dead to Me), and Michael Hyatt (Snowfall).
The Little Things has a Nocturnal Animals vibe which I really liked, helping it to feel dark and gritty throughout. From the start you feel like the characters know something that you don’t, and the backstory begins to slowly unravel. Denzel Washington’s character is the most intriguing and the center-piece of the story. He is now a deputy in a rural county, but you realize pretty much right away there is more to this guy than what you see on the surface. It was never boring watching his secrets slowly come out.
He finds himself teaming up with the new hot shot detective played by Malek, and the two quickly realize they have more in common than they originally thought. It also comes as no surprise that Leto is perfect in a creepy and unpredictable role (the grimy long hair really sells it).
I enjoyed the writing and the level of depth it provided, especially the reference to The Night Stalker (a Netflix documentary I just watched recently) to help get viewers invested. The movie takes place in Los Angeles and does a great job of making it feel authentic. I was impressed with writer/director John Lee Hancock and his eye for detail. Fun fact, Hancock wrote the script 28 years ago - I guess he had plenty of time to get it right.
The Bad
In general I loved the cast, but at times especially early on the acting felt a bit forced. I was also back and forth on Rami Malek’s character, but as the movie went on he started to grow on me. I suppose this is somewhat par for the course when you have such high expectations. The story is set in the 1990’s, but at times I felt confused as to whether it was modern day or 30 years ago. At one point Malek pulls out his pager and I was like “oh yeah!”. I think they could have done more to make it feel more authentic to that time period. It was a nice escape not seeing cell phones every 2 seconds though.
In general, the story itself wasn’t quite as fulfilling as I had hoped or as the buildup made me think it would be, but it was still interesting and engaging right until the end. I will have to watch the movie at least once more to pick up on some of the smaller details I may have missed.
The Verdict
A gritty crime thriller with a stellar cast, The Little Things will keep you guessing right until the very end. It may not be Denzel Washington’s best work, but let’s be honest, that bar is set PRETTY high. Recommended.
TED TAKES RATING - 7/10
The Little Things is now in theaters and available to stream on HBO Max. Check out the trailer below.