Streaming on Amazon is The Little Things – one of the better made psychological murder mysteries, starring some formidable actors from the the current stock in Hollywood namely Denzel Washington, who needs no introduction and Rami Malek, the guy who shot to fame playing our own Freddie Mercury’s character in the 2018 Queen’s biopic ‘Bohemian Rhapsody’.
Even the antagonist is played by another well known Hollywood face, Jared Leto. The movie explores art of deduction as Deacon, known as Deke to one and all, played by Washington literally takes the newbie precocious detective Baxter under his wings, though Baxter is good but has a stiff nose, who has joined in Deke’s place in the LAPD precinct he was famous in.
Deke explains the small nuances of crime and murder detection which if overlooked will leave the cases unsolved and will literally be shelved in cold case files. The camaraderie slowly grows between the two of them, as you too get drawn into the investigations. Deke is fighting his own past demons and wants to redeem himself by helping Baxter in investigation.
Both Washington and Malek put in restrained performances. The actual crimes may not have been shown on the screen, as only more of the aftermath and detection is in focus, so you are spared the gore. The story is structured and goes logically from one frame to another.
The end is intriguing as Deke redeems himself but Baxter lands in position that Deke was in and will have to live with his own demons. Being a psychological murder drama, it has to be dark. Most of the movie has been shot in darkness. Though slow paced it keeps you interested.
The scene where the antagonist bucks up Baxter you feel something is about to happen and then whack, that’s where the punch lies, you really need to see it carefully for you to decipher what the storyteller wants to say.
One thing noticeable here is that U.S of A is a damn large country with vast tracts of deserted and unmanned areas, the highways are eerie and empty at nights, if anyone with a plan and homicidal bent of mind can easily dispose off the body in the vast wilderness, the crime may never even get solved for lack of physical evidence.
There are many such live examples if one sees Discovery ID, there are many such serial killings or homicides committed which remain unsolved or are solved many years later.
– Review by PAWAN GUPTA
Cast of The Little Things:
Denzel Washington as Joe “Deke” Deacon, a Kern County Deputy Sheriff
Rami Malek as LASD Det. Jim Baxter
Jared Leto as Albert Sparma
Chris Bauer as Det. Sal Rizoli
Michael Hyatt as Flo Dunigan
Terry Kinney as LASD Captain Carl Farris
Natalie Morales as Det. Jamie Estrada
Credits of The Little Things:
Production company – Gran Via Productions
Produced by Mark Johnson, John Lee Hancock
Directed by John Lee Hancock
Written by John Lee Hancock
Music by Thomas Newman
Cinematographer – John Schwartzman
Edited by Robert Frazen
Distributed by Warner Bros. Pictures
18 June 2021