The Little Things
I watched The Little Things …
**Spoiler free review**
The Little Things is a classic thriller brought to life by excellent performances from Denzel Washington, Rami Malek and 2021 Golden Globe nominee Jared Leto, with a suspenseful ending that keeps the viewer guessing. Does it fully captivate and satisfy the thriller/suspense movie goer? My 1st Take – no, not entirely, but it’s close. For me, the unsatisfying ending kept me thinking about this movie long after it ended. It probably doesn’t check all the boxes, but it is definitely worth a watch.
Where to Watch: Theaters and HBOMax (limited time only)
Release Date: January 29, 2021 (USA)
Thanks to Warner Bros. decision to release all their movies on HBOMax, the same day they release in theaters, subscribers of HBOMax got to watch The Little Things for a limited time on the streaming platform. Unfortunately for me, I forgot that it was only available for a limited time. So, I found myself watching this movie in the middle of the night, just before they pulled it on Feb 28th, 2021 at midnight PST (thankfully, I live on the East Coast, so I had a couple of hours on hand!).
So there I was, in the middle of the night, sitting in bed, watching this crime thriller.
The opening scene of The Little Things had me sitting on edge, my skin crawling, holding my breath, hoping – no – yelling at the girl not to stop her car! Yes, the movie draws the viewer right in. It pulls the viewer into the narrative.
The movie takes you into the life of Deputy Sheriff Joe “Deke” Deacon. With short flash backs, it slowly lets the viewer piece together Deke’s story. It keeps you engaged as Deke joins forces with Sgt. Jim Baxter to search for a serial killer who is terrorizing 1990’s Los Angeles. They focus on a prime suspect, Albert Sparma, who presents us with a calm, creepy and overall suspicious demeanor.
Director: John Lee Hancock
Writer/Screenplay: John Lee Hancock
As the story moves through the plot, we learn Deke’s story. The way this is done in the movie, is through flashbacks. I found the method a little choppy for my liking. Leaving me a little disjointed, as a result. However, it does add to the suspense element of the storytelling, as the reveals are intentionally delayed. Leaving the viewer hanging on until the very end. The story itself, I found, was well developed. Although there were a few scenes which I felt were painfully weak – particularly one toward the end which left me, again, yelling at the screen! (I won’t spoil it, but if you watch it, you’ll understand!).
The characters easily intertwined with each other as the story progressed and eventually disentangled as the plot unravelled. This is a “no spoiler” review, so no revelations, but the story left me wanting, unsatisfied and thinking about it, long after it ended – just as the storyteller intended.
There have been a lot of stories like this told before. You feel like you’ve seen these characters so many times before. You know exactly where this is going and exactly how it’s going to end. However, where this movie differs from the rest is how it leaves you at the end, how it makes you feel about each of the characters and makes you consider their actions. Overall, the storytelling to me felt cohesive and left me thinking about all the little things.
Main Cast
Joe “Deke” Deacon: Denzel Washington
Jim Baxter: Rami Malek
Albert Sparma: Jared Leto
The cast of The Little Things is ripe with talent. The story is brought to life by a cast of extremely talented actors. Leading the pack are the three heavy hitting Oscar winning actors – Denzel Washington, Rami Malek and Jared Leto. Jared Leto secured his 2021 Golden Globe nomination for his portrayal of Albert Sparma, very well deserved in my view. He gave a chilling performance, bringing out the nuances that defined the character. Denzel Washington, as usual, defined the character of Deke with the intensity that it deserved. I felt Rami Malek played well with the emotions of Baxter. Honorable mentions go to Michael Hyatt who plays Flo Dunigan, the medical examiner and close ally to Denzel Washington’s Deke.
Music: Thomas Newman
The music appropriately captures the suspenseful essence of the movie. Although lacking any memorable moments for me, it provides the essential backdrop to the narrative, carrying it through the dramatic highs and lows and adding to the cinematic experience.
Cinematography: John Schwartzman
The suspenseful nature of the movie was brought to life by some interesting cinematography. There were some stark imagery that contrasted life and death, brought into light from the perspective of the detective. The visuals emphasized the crime scenes and enhanced the chilling effects of the darkness of the characters. Overall, I felt, it left a lasting impression on the viewer.
Final Thoughts…
In the end it’s all about the little things, if you ask Deke.
But if you ask me, it’s all about the big actors carrying the movie on big shoulders and a pretty big plot twist, with big questions going unanswered that makes a big difference for this movie.
All of which made it worth watching.
I hoped you like this review. If you watched this movie, please share your thoughts in the comments.