The Little Things

Director: John Lee Hancock, Rami Malek John Lee Hancock

Overview

Written and directed by John Lee Hancock, this police drama thriller is about how an older and rather burned out deputy sheriff from Kern County named Joe Deacon (Denzel Washington) teams up with the younger Sergeant Jim Baxter (Rami Malek) from the Los Angeles Sheriff Department to work together in reeling in a cunning serial killer (Jared Leto) with a knack for evading capture. The two work out their differences and try to wrestle with their respective personal struggles to prevent the killer from taking another life.

Product Details

Release Date:	05/04/2021
UPC:	0883929707959
Original Release:	2021
Source:	Warner Home Video
Language:	English
Time:	2:08:00
Sales rank:	3,518

Cast & Crew

Performance Credits

Michael Hyatt	Flo Dunigan
Terry Kinney	LASD Captain Carl Farris
Isabel Arraiza	Ana Baxter
Joris Jarsky	Detective Sergeant Rogers
Glenn Morshower	Captain Henry Davis
Sofia Vassilieva	Tina Salvatore
Jason James Richter	Detective Williams
John Harlan Kim	Officer Henderson
Frederick Koehler	Stan Peters
Judith Scott	Marsha
Tiffany Gonzalez	Julie Brock
Anna McKitrick	Mary Roberts
Sheila Houlahan	Paige Callahan
Ebony N Mayo	Tamara Ewing
Matt Morrison	Guy Jogger,Guy Jogger
Olivia Washington	Amy Anders,Waitress
Kiff VandenHeuvel	Tow Truck Driver
J. Downing	Flanders
Sean Spann	Ghoul Squad
Sophia Castro	Jennifer Baxter
Calliah Sophie Estrada	Chloe Baxter
Thomas Crawford	Burns
Eric Satterberg	LASD Tech #1
Ian Gary	LASD Tech #2
Jeff Corbett	Bill Rathbun
Samantha Cormier	Teenage Girl
Lee Garlington	Landlady
Julia Vera	ABC Appliance Owner
Jack Topalian	AAA Appliance Owner
Justin Barnhill	Grunge Kid
Emil Beheshti	Lab Coat Tech
Bradley James	LAPD #1
Ben Kliewer	LAPD #2
Hank Northrop	LAPD #3
Bob Golub	Bum
Adam Harrington	Greg Alberts
Patricia Mizen	une journaliste
Ben Sanders	Delinquent Kid #1
Miles Quincy Martin	Gang Member

Technical Credits

John Lee Hancock

John Lee Hancock	Director,Producer,Screenwriter
Rami Malek	Director
Kevin McCormick	Producer,Executive Producer
Mike Drake	Executive Producer
Mark Johnson	Producer

Editorial Reviews

Writer/director John Lee Hancock (The Blind Side) adds to his varied resume by providing audiences with the psychological thriller, The Little Things. Hancock's well-penned crime drama is supported by solid performances, and while sometimes predictable, does well on a few interesting and original notes. Joe "Deke" Deacon (Denzel Washington) is a burnt-out sheriff's deputy with an eye for the smallest details when investigating crimes. While gathering evidence for a case in his own jurisdiction, he is drawn into Detective Jim Baxter's (Rami Malek) investigation of an LA County serial killer. Together, the two work to solve the case so Baxter can cement his future and Deke can escape his past. But as the investigation proceeds, Deke discovers that some things from his past are never dead and buried. There is a lot of attention to detail in Hancock's script. Through his careful direction, he ensures they remain in the story. As much as the detectives are looking for clues, the audience can look for connections themselves - both to the story and to the mystery surrounding Deke's past. There are a few little moments that do not seem quite right for the characters, but they stand out because they are out of place in a script so structured around the details. Washington does a wonderful job conveying the haunted ex-detective, carrying the film until Deke and Baxter zero in on their main suspect, Albert Sparma (Jared Leto). At this point, there is a battle of wills, both among the three characters and the actors portraying them. In this, we see a rare instance where, through no fault of his own, Malek is overshadowed by the other players. Leto's creepy portrayal ends up winning the skirmish. The eerie music in the background wonderfully sets the film's mood, as does the landscape - both urban and rural. Wherever Deke may be at any given moment looks exactly as one would suspect, and the people he encounters in these places match the environment perfectly. The cinematography is the real star of the background. There are many tiny, easily overlooked details framed perfectly so that the observant can notice them; missing them does not matter in the long run, however. The Little Things is a solid crime drama with a bit of originality. Viewers who want complete closure to their stories might find the film lacking, but veteran enthusiasts of psychological thrillers like Se7en and Primal Fear are sure to be pleased by the things, both little and big, that this film has to offer.