The Little Things-2021
Director John Lee Hancock
Starring Denzel Washington, Rami Malek, Jared Leto
Scott’s Review #1,191
Reviewed November 5, 2021
Grade: B
The serial killer genre in film always fascinates me. Gems like Dirty Harry (1971), The Silence of the Lambs (1991), Seven (1995), and Zodiac (2007) immediately spring to mind as top-of-the-heap works.
John Lee Hancock, who directs The Little Things (2021), thinks so too, as he borrows from those pictures throughout his film.
The film features superior acting and a fantastic mood, complemented by practical musical score elements and absorbing cinematography of Los Angeles and its surrounding areas.
The script must have been compelling enough to attract heavyweights like Washington, Malek, and Jeto to join on board.
Despite these wins, The Little Things is lackluster and ultimately disappoints. I was ready to award it a solid B+ if not for the confusing and unsatisfying conclusion, which reminds me of a weak copy of those mentioned above, Seven.
Deputy Sheriff Joe “Deke” Deacon (Washington) joins forces with Sgt. Jim Baxter (Malek) to search for a serial killer who’s terrorizing Los Angeles. The blueprint is similar to a case that Deacon worked on and ended with a deadly mistake and his resulting heart attack.
As the pair track the suspected culprit, a loner named Albert Sparma (Leto), Baxter becomes aware of Deke’s inner demons and risks going down the same emotionally wrecked path.
A cat-and-mouse game ensues with Sparma continually toying with both Deke and Baxter.
The story is familiar territory and sets the stage for the rest of the film. How many times in film have we seen a detective tortured over a case? Despite Sparma being the only real suspect and presumed serial killer, we never do learn whether or not he did the deeds.
One girl who escaped the killers’ clutches may recognize Sparmas’ boots, but is dismissed after concluding that, since he is in police custody, he must be the killer.
The opening sequence is excellent despite using a direct rip-off of the scene in The Silence of the Lambs where the girl is cruising down an empty desert road at high speed, singing a rock song without a care in the world.
Thankfully, they had her crooning a different song, but the scene mirrors the other. She is pursued by a killer in another car. The scene is a terrific way to start.
The ensemble does good work with the characters they play. Leto gets the showiest role while Washington plays yet another police detective, a role he now can probably play in his sleep, but always does well.
Malek was cast based on the success of his Oscar-winning portrayal of Freddie Mercury in Bohemian Rhapsody (2018).
Leto received enough acclaim to earn a Screen Actors Guild Award nomination and a Golden Globe nomination. This prompted me, and undoubtedly others, to see The Little Things, which suffered at the box office due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
I didn’t buy the period of 1990-1991 for a second, regardless of how many shiny Chevy Impalas were used in the production. None of the characters looked like the time that it was supposed to be, though I admired the now old-fashioned diners and storefronts they used.
I don’t know much about Hancock, who both directs and writes The Little Things, but looking at his filmography, he has produced such works as The Blind Side (2009) and Saving Mr. Banks (2013).
Since both of these films are safer works, it’s unsurprising that much of the film resembles watching an episode of CSI.
Hancock could do with a dose of rawness over sleekness in his next film.
The Little Things (2021) pales in comparison to other, better-known genre films and will not be remembered well, despite making a valiant effort to play with the big boys.
Unfortunately, it’s a minor league experience that borrows too heavily from other films and therefore lacks a distinct identity.
I shudder to think of the result if not for the big stars who appear.
