"It’s the little things, Jimmy. It’s the little things that will rip you apart, it’s the little things that’ll get you caught."
Director: John Lee Hankock
Where Available: HBOMax until March 31st
Rating:
One goal of mine in 2021 is to watch more films physically sitting in the theater. This experience was taken away from us last year (the only movie I saw in the theater was Tenet). I don’t want the world of film to forever sit at home and rely on streaming services as the only way to absorb amazing entertainment, because that’s not how movies are meant to be watched. Yes, it is extremely necessary and convenient in our current society to use these platforms a majority of the time, but staying reliant forever will damage the true meaning of the film industry indefinitely. Films are meant to be watched on a widescreen, in red cushioned reclining chairs, eating a bag of popcorn, drinking Coke, snaking on Twizzlers, and being immersed in a new story every single time.
Buying tickets to The Little Things was a spur of the moment idea. I had heard mixed reviews on other blogs and rating sites. The most common negative things I read were “Washington, Malek, and Leto felt like they were acting for three different movies” and “Denzel doesn’t look like he wants to be in this.” On the opposite end, I saw “The Little Things is better than just a Se7en copy” and “Denzel’s performance is stunning yet again.” I have been strongly considering signing up for an HBOMax subscription because it is currently on the rise with its extremely popular original content and rights to stream some of the best movies of all time. Zac Synder’s Directors cut of the Justice League, Euphoria, The Undoing, Judas and the Black Messiah, I May Destroy You, and lots more. In the end, my dad and I decided to grab some $5 matinee tickets to take a look at it for ourselves.
Deke (Denzel Washington), a burnt-out Kern County, CA deputy sheriff teams with Detective Baxter (Rami Malek) to nab a serial killer. Deke’s nose for the “little things” proves accurate, but his tendency to break the rules sends Baxter into a soul-shattering dilemma. As they track suspect Albert Sparma (Jared Leto), the details of the investigation echo a case from Deke’s past, uncovering secrets that could threaten more than his case.
There are only so many crime thriller movies that actually work for me: Goodfellas, Se7en, Reservoir Dogs, and Nightcrawler. In recent years, this neo-noir crime thriller genre has become the product of television. Shows like Mindhunter have taken on the story of detectives who are haunted by the crimes they investigate. The Little Things definitely reminds me of Se7en, which will forever be one of my favorites of all time. Actually, The Little Things was written 2 years before Se7en in the 90s, which is why they have the same atmosphere. It has been a while since a crime thriller was popular in the theatres, and I think The Little Things is just the beginning of bringing them back.
My dad and I agree: the acting in this is superb! I could go on and on about how amazing Denzel Washington is and how he nails every single role that he is in, but I think that is a little bit repetitive. Rami Malek, however, is becoming more and more popular. We all know him from his iconic part as Egyptian Vampire Benjamin in Breaking Dawn Part 2. I’m kidding, but he was seriously the only character I liked in this entire series. He is ACTUALLY known for his roles as Elliot in the show Mr. Robot, Freddie Mercury in Bohemian Rhapsody, and Louis Dega in Papillon. Baxter in The Little Things was definitely a different role for Malek, and even though it wasn’t my favorite, he was the most mysterious character in the film. We know so much more about Deke and Sparma’s intentions and past life than we do with Baxter. We don’t know why his wife is so suspicious, or why he had a buzzer alarm, or why he was so attached to this case, or why he was randomly up at four AM. I had a lot of unanswered questions about his actions and how his character was left in the end, which is both a good and a bad thing. Now, Jared Leto. Wow. This is the performance I have been waiting for. I really don’t have any words to describe this character other than nightmarish. Sparma shows up about half-way through the film and just his first peek through a door sent chills down my spine. He put on some weight and quite the number of prosthetics to fit the role of Sparma, and let me tell you, he did not look at all like Jared Leto. Every line, every step, every mannerism was creepy and so offputting that I really thought I was watching a serial killer acting belong side Denzel Washington and Rami Malek. If this is Jared Leto playing a psycho, I can’t wait to see the extra Joker scenes in Zac Snyders director’s cut of the Justice League.
Overall, The Little Things was a very entertaining movie. Was it the best thing I have ever seen? No, far from it. Was it horrible No, far from it. The performances were great, the plot was interesting but not perfect, and the ending was mysterious. This was quite a fun trip to the theater, and I can’t wait to do it again! If you have an HBOMax account, I definitely recommend this because these 3 men make performances you are never going to forget!
Quotes:
"When I see a sunrise or thunderstorm or dew on the ground, I think there is a G-d, when I see this I think he is well past giving a sh*t."
"Word to the wise, Jimmy, stay out of the angel business."
"It’s the little things, Jimmy. It’s the little things that will rip you apart, it’s the little things that’ll get you caught."
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