The Little Things (2021)

Directed by: John Lee Hancock | 128 minutes | crime, drama | Actors: Denzel Washington, Rami Malek, Jared Leto, Chris Bauer, Michael Hyatt, Terry Kinney, Natalie Morales, Isabel Arraiza, Joris Jarsky, Glenn Morshower, Sofia Vassilieva, John Harlan Kim, Frederick Koehler, Judith Scott, Maya Kazan, Tiffany Gonzalez

COVID-19 has thrown a lot of plans into disarray internationally. Take ‘The Little Things’ now. This film has a top cast and would have earned a cinema rotation based on the presence of Denzel Washington, Jared Leto and Rami Malek alone. This trio is guaranteed to attract audiences to the halls. Unfortunately, a pandemic threw a spanner in the works and this film disappears almost silently in the online video market ‘thanks to’ a lazy marketing department. Too bad, because this movie deserves more attention.

‘The Little Things’ revolves around the worn-out deputy Deke (Washington on autopilot). Together with a new partner (Malek), he must go after a serial killer. There’s a murderous maniac who gets a kick out of brutal violence and sadistic massacres. Would Albert Sparma (Leto) know more about the atrocities?

It is clear that director John Lee Hancock was heavily inspired by a classic from the nineties (‘Se7en’). There are many similarities: the veteran longing for retirement and his ambitious partner, the dark atmosphere and the mysterious bad guy. Check, check and double check! Better stolen well than poorly conceived. Although the acting is not equally strong across the board, the cast does not drop any stitches. After all, a routine Washington is still enjoyable and Malek is also interesting to watch.

The greatest asset of ‘The Little Things’ is Jared Leto. The enigmatic actor portrays a creepy character who gets under the skin. There is something wrong with this figure, but what exactly is unclear. Leto is in great shape and pulls the scenes in which he appears effortlessly. Unfortunately, Hancock does not manage to keep the attention during the entire playing time. ‘The Little Things’ drags on at times. The film also sometimes comes across as a pastiche of ‘Se7en’. Needless to say, this is a well-made thriller.