The Little Things

Written and Directed by John Lee Hancock

Rating: 👌🏼 ok

Officer Joe Deacon (Denzel Washington) is a weathered cop who is still bothered by a murder case that remains unsolved from much earlier in his career. He finds himself in Los Angeles, his former jurisdiction, and meets Sgt. Baxter (Rami Malek) who is the lead investigator on a serial killer case. With a string of unsolved murders plaguing the city, the two cops bond over their incessant need to solve the crime. But will their obsession help or hinder their investigation?

As a self-proclaimed crime junkie I was initially very intrigued by the premise of this movie. If presented with a documentary or podcast about serial killers, especially on my native west coast, I consume it whole and ask for more. As such, I have learned a lot about the classifications and psychological theories about serial killers, and a lot about common investigatory practices. But you don’t have to be a true crime arm chair expert to be deeply annoyed by the flaws in this film. I’m sorry, but how am I supposed to root for a cop so inept that he feels the need to contaminate the crime scene by touching several pieces of critical evidence with his bare hands? A crime scene that is outside of his jurisdiction and he literally has no business being anywhere near.

This is just the tip of the iceberg in regards to my issues with this movie, but all of the issues boil down to one central thesis. This crime thriller feels like it is written by someone who knows nothing about true crime. The characters are as empty and stereotypical as the unoriginal crimes that the plot centers around. How Jared Leto got a golden globe nomination for his performance as the comedic yet boring serial killer, I will never understand. Even Rami Malek and Denzel Washington couldn’t save this film from itself because they were never given anything interesting to work with.

If you’re bored and looking for 2 hours of a crime drama that feels as cheesy as an episode of CSI or any network true crime show, then The Little Things is worth a watch. But if you’re looking to be intrigued and held in suspense by plot twists and complex characters, this movie isn’t for you.

Written by Zianna Weston