#but as a thriller it could have benefitted from a tighter focus

[dawnstarranger]

2.5/5

If you really like thrillers and live on a steady diet of any you can get your hands on, maybe check this out. I personally didn’t love it for a few reasons, some of which are just me personally not liking things lmao so take that with a grain of salt. It does feature some pretty perilous scenes involving a dog so if that’s a turn off for you stay far away.

[doomonfilm]

Review : The Little Things (2021)

As 2021 settles in and the impact of COVID-19 continues to cast a shadow on the future of how films are released, HBOMax and Warner Brothers Studios are continuing their year-long dual release experiment with the second film to receive such treatment, The Little Things.  Wonder Woman 1984 was never going to provide a true picture of how this practice could work, seeing as it had so many intangible factors tied to it, but a more traditional style film with three Academy Award winners in the lead roles is a bit stronger and truer of a litmus test to use.

After a witness IDs a potential killer based on his unique boots, Kern County Deputy Sherriff Joe Deacon (Denzel Washington) is sent to Los Angeles to pick up the boots from their evidence locker due to their connection to another crime.  Due to a delay, Deacon is forced to stay longer than anticipated, leading to his involvement with an ongoing crime being worked by LAPD Detective Jimmy Baxter (Rami Malek).  Baxter immediately picks up on Deacon’s former colleagues tiptoeing around his past involvement with the LAPD, and even though their initial meeting causes tension, Baxter convinces Deacon to stick around and assist on an investigation centered around a serial killer terrorizing the citizens of Los Angeles.

Finding new ground to explore in the killer thriller realm is tough these days, but luckily for The Little Things, it’s not trying to reinvent the wheel.  There are similarities to films like Se7en, specifically in regard to the old cop/new cop dynamic, but it is disingenuous to hold this film up in comparison to standard thrillers.  With the acting firepower locked and loaded, director John Lee Hancock opts to use the already present tension that is part in parcel with the genre and ratchets things tighter using the gifts his actors possess.  With this is the foundation of the film, it becomes less about solving the case, and more about which character is going to crack first, and it is this aspect of the film that keeps viewers tied to it.

While most films that deal with killers tend to focus on either the killer or the victims and community they target, this film props itself up as a character study centered around those tasked with making those horrific wrongs right again.  From the moment that Joe Deacon touches down in the presence of the LAPD, the weight of his past actions steps to the front and center, cast a massive dark cloud over all that we are presented with not directly tied to the investigation.  The teacher/student dynamic that should naturally exist in a connection like the one that exist between Deacon and Baxter is turned on its head, especially once all of Deacon’s cards are laid out on the table and Baxter is forced to question his character.  Deacon’s arc also presents the possibility of a slow descent into madness, further blurring the lines between what constitutes a cop and what constitutes a criminal.

The Little Things finds an interesting middle ground between the usual depictions of Los Angeles... there is enough of the dark underbelly to fuel the thriller/suspense narrative, with enough sunny free spirited energy present to create a stark juxtaposition.  Dark blues, greens and golden tones stand out against the use of deep shadows, and when used in combination with locations that are worn and show their age, a sense of bleakness is immediately indicated.  As the film focuses on the investigations more so than sensationalizing the crimes, the pacing is purposefully methodical, but the added benefit is that the methodical nature gives us the feeling of a march towards impending doom.  Soundtrack moments are few and far between, but the songs chosen are not only entertaining, but bring nice emotional cues to the table, which are further amplified by the subtle, rhythmic and textured score.  True crime is at the height of its popularity these days, which the writer/director John Lee Hancock is obviously aware of, as he treats viewers as if they are informed while leaving out clunky exposition. 

Denzel Washington exudes the stress that comes with a troubling past, and the hesitation to put yourself out on a limb around strangers in fear of judgement, or actions clouded by information about you previously received.  Remi Malek is wound up so tight that you wonder if he is meant to serve as a secondary antagonist, and the bluntness he brings to the table works beautifully against Washington’s jaded indifference.  Michael Hyatt has great chemistry in her scenes with Washington as well, as if the two have a shorthand language or inside joke that fuels their character interaction.  Jared Leto’s cat and mouse approach serves as the main push for the narrative mystery, and he is certainly effective in terms of seeding it with clues and uncertainty.  The LAPD cast consist of a number of strong actors and actresses that make the most of their limited time, including Natalie Morales, Terry Kinney, Chris Bauer, Joris Jarsky, Jason James Richter, John Harlan Kim and Glenn Morshower.  Supporting appearances by Kerry O’Malley, Sofia Vassilieva, Sheila Houlahan, Lee Garlington, Isabel Arraiza, Charlie Saxon, Judith Scott, and more round out the remainder of the cast.

HBO’s The Wire famously said “the job doesn’t make you” in regards to the grueling task of working as a detective, and The Little Things could be used as an example of this adage as well.  If you’re looking for a run of the mill “whodunnit” shockfest fueled by serial killer exploitation, I’d skip this one.  If you’re looking for tension driven by calculated and measured performances, then this one is for you.