[Review] The Little Things(2020) {6.5/10}

Written and Directed by John Lee Hancock, the film also stars Rami Malek (Det. Jim Baxter), Denzel Washington (Joe "Deke" Deacon), Jared Leto (Albert Sparma), Chris Bauer (Det. Sal Rizoli), Michael Hyatt (Flo Dunigan) and Natalie Morales (Det. Jamie Estrada).

The plot follows two detectives (Denzel Washington and Rami Malek) who investigate a string of murders, which lead them to a strange loner who may be the culprit (Jared Leto). As they track the culprit, Baxter is unaware that the investigation is dredging up echoes of Deke's past, uncovering disturbing secrets that could threaten more than his case.

Writer-director John Lee Hancock, who readied the bulk of his script nearly three decades ago, sticks to a slow-burn, mildly unfolding style of revelation, but stays away from adding any nail-biting thrills. While the film is set in the 90s, which is succinctly depicted in all its frames, the direction and the execution are also decidedly old-school. The extensive use of the call phone, the naked crime scene photos, the maps and a creepy mystery man, who just looks like a serial killer, it is all there. These are the usual tropes of a whodunit that make it interesting and they work here too, but that doesn’t take away from the need of having a solid pace and urgency in the narrative, which is missing. The equation between the Washington and Malek, evolves organically and the two performers do not disappoint. Of course, both are capable of a lot more, especially, Washington, who always has a wonderful command over such restrained characters. The exchanges between them and the unpredictability that Leto brings in, are a surefire treat for their fans. The film’s unhurried pace and the total disregard to cater to the voyeuristic instincts of its viewers, allows it to showcase minute police procedures and the ‘little things’ that make for a detailed and dark storytelling. Sure, there are cinematic liberties and illogical turn of events, but that sadly, that doesn’t lead to much thrill and action either. Partly, because the film’s rooted in being a verbose neo-noir whodunit and partly because it remains open to multiple interpretations. The Little Things suffers from somewhat jarring plot turns and some overcooked performances but the sturdy, classical direction and Washington's anguished performance make it worth seeing. It is a dated attempt that tells an interesting story with some mature performances and a lesson on how the little things can have a big impact.

The Little Things is now available on Digital and Blu-ray.