Hollywood needs another “cop battling personal demons while investigating murders” story like the world needs dudes trying to show up the ladies in the Buss It and Silhouette challenges. However, writer-director John Lee Hancock (The Blind Side and the criminally underrated The Founder) gives Tinseltown another such offering with his latest film, The Little Things, starring Oscar winners Denzel Washington, Rami Malek, and Jared Leto.
The Little Things is the story of an ex-LAPD officer turned deputy sheriff (Washington) who returns to the city and joins forces with a younger hotshot detective (Malek) to search for a serial killer with a focus on one particular suspect (Leto). Even with a well-worn story, a cast that talented gives any movie endless possibilities. Does The Little Things make good on its big potential or is it a big mistake with a lot of star power?
The acting in The Little Things is probably the most disappointing thing I have experienced in the last few weeks other than trying and failing to purchase a pair of limited edition Lebrons on Nike’s SNKRS app. Maybe not quite as bad as that L, but still bad.
Washington adds another first-rate performance to his "Best Actor of the 21st Century So Far" resume. He does not break any new ground with the Deacon character because we have seen him play similarly flawed characters. However, it works here because seeing Washington’s mastery of compelling the audience to buy into him even as his characters’ moral and ethical complexities come to light is perpetually entertaining.
Malek is surprisingly mundane and uninspiring. While it is a reach to expect him to approach the Baxter character with the same flamboyance that he exhibited as Freddie Mercury, Malek sleepwalks through most of his scenes with a strange monotone showing. The performance is so listless that Jackson Heights’s own Randy Watson could have filled in by reprising his role as Joe the Policeman from the “What’s Goin Down” episode of That’s My Mama and it would be an improvement over Malek.
Leto’s performance was also an underachievement. The menacing effect we are supposed to feel from the moment Albert Sparma appears never happens. He is supposed to grow more sinister and terrifying as the investigation goes deeper into if he has any connection with the murders. Yet, we end up with a series of weird stares that look more like a medical condition than a potential murderer's attributes. Leto’s real-life appearance carrying a replica of his severed head to the 2019 Met Gala is far scarier than anything he does in the film.
Behind the camera, The Little Things plummets even further. Hancock’s script is devoid of any plot elements that allow the viewer to decide how or if they feel anything for the other leading characters not named Deacon. Baxter and Sparma are pieces on Deacon’s game board and we learn nothing about them beyond a sentence or two. It robbed the film of two intriguing characters and played a big part in Malek’s and Leto’s underwhelming performances because it did not give them the material needed to showcase their talents fully.
Hancock’s directing is also problematic. He paced the film entirely too slow and you are never on edge until the third act, which does not work for a thriller. Even it’s more of a character study, Hancock has far too much hollow screen time that does nothing for all parties involved. Additionally, Hancock seemed to have put little to no effort into getting the best out of his Oscar pedigree cast.
The Little Things started as a slow-burning investigative thriller with a big three most directors would give anything to have at their disposal. Instead, it ended up being a bridge to nowhere constructed by poor decisions behind the camera and the lack of supporting performances needed to get the film off the ground. Washington showed that he is still at the top of his game, but his performance alone could not make up for Malek, Leto, and Hancock’s misses.
The only reason someone should watch this film is if they have a goal to see every Denzel Washington movie ever made. Otherwise, skip it.
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