The Little Things – A Dated and Ridiculous Cop Thriller (Early Review)

The Little Things is a precarious case. What normally appeared to be a usual January dump on paper stands out perhaps a little more this year as the majority of the world remains affected by the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic and Warner Bros. recent decision to concurrently release their 2021 slate in theatres alongside HBO Max. Meanwhile, any film starring 3 Oscar winners doesn’t come along very often. One would think that latter point would be a cause of optimism (it will inevitably be one for some regardless), however, Denzel Washington, Rami Malek, and Jared Leto can unfortunately only do so much with this one. Originally written back in 1993, the film certainly feels that way for better or worse, now in 2021. Suffice it to say that the film brings absolutely nothing new to the table as it had been eclipsed by countless films that have done exactly what this film does but better. Alongside a lengthy running time, clocking in at over 2 hours, all of this amounts to a dull and ridiculous watch in spite of the star power on screen.

The Little Things follows Kern County Deputy Sheriff Joe “Deke” Deacon (Washington) as he was forced to put his skills to the test as he found himself pulled into a hunt for a serial killer currently terrorizing Los Angeles, led by Department Sergeant Jim Baxter (Malek). Noticing the former’s apparent skills, the two officially unofficially worked together on the case but little did Baxter know, the investigation became more than he would have imagined as it uncovered secrets and connections that would impact him beyond solving the case. The connection shouldn’t come as that much of a surprise to anyone as Deacon clearly had a vested interest in the case and a history in Los Angeles which kept him around. The old school vs. new school contrast between Deacon and Baxter was kind fun to watch as they each did their thing until they cancelled each other out once they inevitably came together. From that point, there was just something about their dynamic that didn’t work at all because Deacon was more believable of a character than Baxter. This fact was a hard one to shake and is likely to be one to distract viewers from the story.

That being said, the story wasn’t that original to begin with. Derivative of the countless cop thrillers that came before it, the film’s predictability factor nearly devoids it of excitement and the aforementioned running time will make most viewers just want The Little Things to end. It seemingly goes nowhere over the course of its ridiculous twists and turns that do nothing but ruin the film’s final act. Everything up to that point was merely okay as the predictable story and thin characters tied together by a mediocre script relying on cliches and cringey quips made for a tough film to engage with on a deeper emotional level. While these characters do have some interesting aspects about them, the film barely scratches the surface with them. Though the characters themselves were far more compelling than the case, the film couldn’t quite find the right balance between the three, making for a disjointed experience as those subplots often got in the other’s way.

Ultimately, the best part of The Little Things was its performances which succeeded at making the film at least watchable. Despite being saddled with a mediocre script, Washington, Malek, and Leto as Deacon, Baxter, and Albert Sparma respectively did their best with some faring better than others. Washington’s screen presence and likability made Deacon a compelling character to watch while giving him some depth (though the writing and direction only let him go so far). However, one couldn’t help but be sad for him as he was essentially wasted and so much better than the film that surrounded him. Though Malek was fine as Baxter, he was miscast and never believable in the role which distracted from his dynamic with Washington’s Deacon. His chemistry with Washington was also lacking. Leto was also fine and unrecognizable as Sparma and was also wasted and handcuffed similarly to Washington.

In the end, The Little Things may seem like something more but despite what it looks like on paper, it is still a January dump that is destined to be a background and/or random watch.

still courtesy of Warner Bros. Pictures

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Keith Noakes

The EIC of the coincidentally-named keithlovesmovies.com. A Canadian who prefers to get out of the cold and into the warmth of a movie theatre.