Set in the early 1990s, The Little Things centers around Joe “Deke” Deacon (Denzel Washington), a deputy sheriff in Bakersfield, California. One day he is suddenly called to Los Angeles to retrieve a piece of evidence. It quickly becomes clear he has a deep and troubled past with the LAPD. When the evidence is withheld due to the bureaucratic process Deke is forced to stay longer than intended.

He crosses paths with his successor detective Jimmy Baxter (Rami Malek) who is working a new set of serial killer cases eerily similar to one Deke had previously been assigned. They initially butt heads but Baxter warms to the idea of working together when Deke finds some important clues. The two men eventually come to the conclusion repairman Albert Sparma (Jared Leto) is their most likely suspect. As the film progresses, Deke becomes increasingly obsessed with catching the killer, while Jimmy follows his lead.

It was difficult for me to get through this film. Although I know noir films are known for ‘overcooked’ performances, in this case it didn’t work well. The film is a very classic take on noir. All three actors are successful, Oscar-winning talents, but whether it was the script or the stylized performances, the characters fell flat and seemed dated.

This is a huge divergence from the style of films John Lee Hancock is known for. He typically makes bright, upbeat films about hard work and success such as The Rookie, The Blindside, and The Founder. In those films the characters are well-developed and we are given a clear structured tale. The Little Things on the other hand, lacks information and boundaries that would have been paramount to grounding us in any sense of reality.

While his films typically make use of bright natural light, this film makes good use of darkness and filters in light from flashlights and headlights creating an ominous look. I could see how much respect the director has for the genre. It is clear he wanted to make an homage to classics but it ended up getting lost along the way. This could easily be attributed to the nearly 30 years this film was left to gestate. I think the mistake was trying to emulate the classics instead of draw inspiration while creating something new. For me recent comedy/ thrillers that draw inspiration from noir, such as Promising Young Woman and Parasite were much more successful than Motherless Brooklyn or this film.

Ultimately, I think this project should have been left on the shelf as it brings nothing new to the table.

– Review by Jessie Zumeta

Have you seen THE LITTLE THINGS? Well, what did you think? 

…