Aside from the horrific editing throughout the majority of this feature, The Little Things is a gripping crime thriller with a sharp human twist. I'm rather shocked by the level of disdain on here for the ending, as I thought it was much better than simply naming the killer. Having Deke save Jim from the guilt that befell him when he killed an innocent man was a nice twist that I didn't see coming. Sure it doesn't answer the main mystery of the crime, but I'd argue that was never the main storyline of the movie in the first place. It was all about Deke finding peace with his past, while helping his replacement not fall into the same hole that he did. Takes a while to get going, but once it does it's a gripping, enjoyable ride to the credits. (Just try and ignore the 293048023948238 edits during scenes as simple as breakfast at Jim's house)
BOOOOOOORINGGGGGGG. 40 minute story, agonizingly stretched out to 2 hours. Honestly felt even longer.
Boring and disappointing. The hole-digging scene was anticlimactic and the pace/music never sped up in a way to build suspense towards the end. Overall very slow and sadly not worth it.
Excellent movie.
People saying the ending is bad don’t get it.
They had the hunch, they saw him get aroused by the pictures, they know it’s him. When deke gets to the killers house he see his trophy case with the victim’s possessions, the proof they needed, they just can’t get the warrant yet because they need more evidence to get it. Unfortunately baxter ends up screwing up by shoveling the killer, just like deacon did when he shot the girl. Deke could have caught the killer but instead killed a witness. The same with baxter, could have gotten Sparma but...killed him instead.
When deacon gives the hair thingy to baxter he is doing him a favor, releasing him from his own daemons. That doesn’t mean he is not the guy, just that baxter fixated on a little thing that doesn’t matter anymore, because the actual killer is dead and there won’t be anymore victims.
This movie is made of enormous stretches of nothing between poignant moments. It's long for the sake of being long. When even questions like 'did you set the alarm' deserve a pregnant pause you KNOW the director was at a loss how to make a complete movie of the wreckage before him. I'm sure it's a cult thing and a masterpiece of storytelling, but I found it boring, slow and confusing at times. Can't reccomend.
The biggest crime that has ever been committed wasn’t even in the movie itself, but having a cast like Denzel Washington, Rami Malek, and Jared Leto, with a promising concept of a murder mystery and it turned out to be…whatever.
I mean the performances were decent at least, even if Rami Malek felt a bit out of place here.
Not really sure why the 7 overall. It's very well written and acted. The plot twist is very Orsen Wells Rosebud-esque. Thought provoking and unexpected. Guessing most people that rated it low didn't want a thinker movie that leaves you to decide how you feel about it. Intellectually more than what they wanted? Far better than I expected.
I'm not sure why there's so much hate for this film, but I loved it. If you enjoyed the grimdark mysteries that were huge in the late 90s (think Seven), you'll feel at home with The Little Things. The underlying mystery is engaging, but leads us to an interesting conclusion that is surprising, unexpected, and...believable. It also is very morally "squishy", leaving a lot of space to contemplate the various actions of our leads, who were all great. Leto may have been trying a little too hard, but he gave an engaging performance. Malek and Washington were great, as expected. I genuinely enjoyed the heck out of this film.
If I'm ever murdered, I don't want Baxter on my case. Dumbest thing I've ever seen was Baxter agreeing to take a ride with a suspected serial killer... I don't care if it's because he thinks he will find the missing girl, it's just dumb, and to be manipulated to dig several holes was just the last straw.
The acting was great, but the story was slow and the ending anticlimactic.
This was a film that I had the highest of expectations for. Unfortunately I was beyond disappointed. I expected a gripping cop drama that would keep me guessing and questioning things until the very end. What I got was C level film that nearly put me to sleep. The ending is unsatisfying the characters are forgettable and the plot is barely intriguing . This film had a lot of potential in its grasp but if fumbled its opportunity's to impress me.
The movie starts off well, but is totally lost after halfway through. It loses its way, it loses the story, it loses its meaning and we lose interest and finally time.
probably wouldn't watch this again but the acting was great and it has the grungey 90s thriller vibe that it was going for in spades, with the addition of sharply hd imagery. this is less a movie about the hunt for a killer and more a movie about the way law enforcement can become consumed by things in cases that don't even propel them forward. rami malek did a great job making me care about the la county sheriff, that's a tall order. both protagonists are haunted, heartbreaking characters that the actors bring to life perfectly, and jared leto is finally playing someone as unbearable as he is irl so that's a great casting choice too. editing is occasionally odd but honestly with the pandemic i go into new movies expecting to suspend a little disbelief regardless of whether they filmed during 2020 or not.
all in all an enjoyable watch but still a bit forgettable even with the solid cast. last point though: did they NEED to go through the pains of talking about serious decomp only to show the victim julia with better complexion than me on a sleep deprived monday? like. just don't make a point about how disastrous the body is gonna look if it's not going to actually pan out that way.
What a God damn stupid movie - a cop jumping into the car with a suspect, likesay he’s offering him a ride to the gym?! And Rami in this role was a NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO! :x::x::x:
Slow and silent burner. Can be confusing. Rami malek doesn't suit the role of Baxter IMO:thinking:
Release the Snyder Cut, that ending was so random and pretty shit.
It's been awhile since I've been really frustrated with a film. I really enjoyed the first hour and a half, but the last 30 minutes or so was just baffling. Let me start off by saying I really liked the cast, and the tone of the film was great, at least initially. Somewhere along the lines, it takes a turn, and the film just detours from there (You'll know what I mean).
A nice dark thriller that wants to be greater than it is. It wants to be on the level of Zodiac or Se7en and its unfortunately not that. If you like those movies, check this one out. It is good, just not the lasting factor of the others.
Rating: 3.5/5 - 8/10 - Would Recommend
I actually loved this. Brought me back to when movies weren’t all about explosions and special effects and fast-paced action scenes.
Personally I found it very suspenseful and was fully engrossed in the story. Did not expect the ending, which I found disturbing, in a good way.
"The Little Things" is a neo-noir crime thriller starring Denzel Washington, Rami Malek, and Jared Leto. I knew nothing about it going in and enjoyed it a fair amount. The film has received mixed reviews, I can see why, and while I wouldn't go out of my way to recommend it, I have to say it had its charm.
To me, "The Little Things" focuses greatly on style over substance. Even if it has themes and storytelling details that enhance it, for the most part, I found myself most engaged by the cinematography, acting, and music. It's a neo noir, so it's important that everything looks dark and badass. Shots go on for longer than might be necessary, and if you don't care to appreciate the shots, you'll probably be bored at some point. Not me though, I took as it was and let myself absorb each colour, glare, and angle. The acting is rather low-key for the most part, and it enhances the atmosphere. I found Rami Malek to be my favourite actor here; his voice and emotionless stare border on campy, but the film sells the detective fantasy very well. Denzel Washington leads the story well and has great chemistry with Malek. I wouldn't call myself a Jared Leto fan, but once I spaced out of any preconceived notions I had of him, I though he gave an amusing performance. Lastly, the music was minimalist and often out of tune, being the last piece to the movie's feel. It stood out to me and defined more than a few moments.
The story might be where most people will have conflicting opinions. I am surprised I enjoyed this as much as I did. Usually, I feel like I would actually hate this kind of story, but it clicked with me. It ends rather abruptly, in a completely different manner than you might think at first. There's an attempt at making a greater point about humanity, but I can't say it left the impact it was supposed to. Nonetheless, the twist was interesting and subverted my expectations well enough. It's not as great as it might have aimed to be, but it didn't leave me dissatisfied.
Overall, I'd recommend "The Little Things" for its atmosphere, a genuinely strong point. If you're looking for more, I do think you might be disappointed. Nothing groundbreaking, but a good film for what it tries to do.
The actors are good and the premise is fine. But its the little things that make a film work, such as good editing, decent writing, and direction that hones in those with a tendency for scenery chewing. Sadly, this film falls down in those areas. It has the feel of a middling 90s thriller, which is of no surprise, as the script was written in the early part of that decade.
Great movie kept me intrigued the whole way through! However that ending will leave you scratching your head.
Boring af.. Didn't even understand what happened in the end. Maybe my fault?
I thought I had missed some of the plot during micro-naps while attempting to stay conscious watching this film and also checked the Wiki. But no, there wasn't any firm evidence that Sparma was the serial killer and if the murders continue, Barret will know he's been played by Deke in an attempt to save his soul. On further reflection, we didn't actually get to see inside the 'trophy box' until the very end, whereas Deke did. It's possible that Sparma could have cleared it out before Deke went back and realised the evidence was gone, if we are supposed to believe it was ever there. I suppose this makes the ending a bit more clever and keeps us wondering if Sparma really is the killer. If Deke knows the evidence was there, he's okay to fake the hair clip because he also knows the killer really is dead and buried. On that basis, showing us the trophy box contents when Deke first finds it would ruin the 'ending'.
Meh. Not much to talk about weak storyline. Nothing new.
Watched it for Denzel. Lost interest halfway through the movie. Thought it was going to end like se7en.
Then had to google to understand the last act of the movie.
Mediocre fare, avoid,
Quite dull and unnecessarily long as other comments pointed out. The actors did great but that's about it.
I tried my best to pay attention, I really did! But 40 minutes of this sent me to the snooze zone. I haven't finished it and I want to congratulate anyone who watched the whole movie. The Little Things is seriously so boring, I felt like it’s never going to end.
The script is just so unimaginative, and there is no suspense that you would expect from a crime thriller. The sound mixing is comparable to Tenet, you can’t hear what anyone is saying. I couldn't care less about the characters. Why did they pick Rami Malek for this? He sound like a British person faking an American accent, was he severely miscast or is he just not a good actor? Denzel Washington plays a typical beat cop who thinks he knows it all but he looks bored, and is just there picking up a check. Jared Leto is doing the most boring and over-the-top “creepy guy” performance ever, his acting was not worth an award for this character.
The worst thing about this film isn't that it's snatched a lot from 'Se7en', nor the fact that it's attempting to lure its audience with three big Hollywood actors in it.
The worst thing about this film is what a wasteful script it has.
This film tries so hard to be all that David Fincher aspired to when he made both 'Se7en' and 'Zodiac', but contains none of the emotive allure.
I got fairly excited when I saw actors from 'The Wire' and 'Oz' in this film, but nothing from the script excited me.
Don't get me wrong: I didn't expect this film to excite me. If it'd been like Tarkovsky's 'Stalker', I'd be happy. I'm not.
Rami Malek plays an investigator who tries to solve a serial-killer mystery. Malek has made his voice so deep that it irritated me throughout the film. Bar that, his playing mimics that from 'Mr. Robot', the TV series that made him fairly famous.
Denzel Washington seems disengaged, not caring about this film at all. He's like a ghost, in a bad sense of the word.
Jared Leto is quite the same as Washington.
The main three actors probably don't have to make another film for as long as they live because they're wealthy, so in a sense, yeah, they chose to act in this film. I can't tell why. Leto overacts and most of what they do feels implausible.
I will fault the writer, who also directed this boring mess of a film.
The script contains a lot of vapid and audience-punishing film noir wannabe lines, stuff like 'He decided to suck a twelve-gauge'.
People don't speak like that in real life.
Even if this is just a fantasy film, consider how other, much greater noir-ish scripts were written. See one of the big films that Humphrey Bogart starred in, and you'll see what I mean.
Compare this film with Dan Gilroy's 'Nightcrawler', a fim that Gilroy both wrote and directed, using far less money than 'The Little Things'. There was an atmosphere. It had grace.
The main men in this tale are almost Gods: they feel and notice things. They're supernatural, not to be compared with the po-leese we know from 'The Wire'.
Speaking of people, check out the non-people: women. They're poorly represented in this thing. They cook, entertain, are murdered. That's women for you.
This film reminds me of 'Get Out', in the sense that I feel like everything is constructed, that the people in it, the dialogues, the interactions, everything felt contrived.
Part of me wants to read the script to try and understand the minds of the people who financed this; I guess that the big Hollywood-actor names made up their minds, and not what's supposed to make this film.
Don't see this. See 'Se7en' or 'Nightcrawler' instead.
Nothing I can add that hasn't already been said by others. This is just a boring nonsensical story. No point to any of it. Anticlimactic ending. Did I say boring?
I like the movie, but it feels like it's 20 to 30 minutes too long.
Well, I didn't hate watching it but I found the ending super unsatisfactory. Would I rather have my two hours back? Yeah, probably. 5/10.
There are some very interesting moments and themes throughout the film but it becomes undone with strange directorial aspects. I commend the darker choices here in the protagonists that you would rarely see given the actors in this film. Leto plays up his role nicely while Malek feels a bit off in this one. A middle of the road film you don't often see being made these days.
Okay something different but it could have been better or worse… still like some twists in it, but the storyline was okay. It are the little things also in this movie. But always like mister Washington so yes maybe I expected more or was I wrong. Not disappointed…
Editing is poor film is poor
Compelling story, good acting, beautifully filmed, but that pacing is glacial. A 6/10, would have been an 8/10 with half the screen time.
The Little Things is a suspenseful crime thriller with great performances by Denzel Washington and Jared Leto. The film keeps viewers engaged with its tense atmosphere and well-executed twists and turns. However, the plot can be somewhat unrealistic at times, with certain aspects feeling contrived or far-fetched. Despite this, the movie's strong performances and gripping story make it a worthwhile watch for fans of the genre.
I really liked Jared Leto in this. However this film lost a great opportunity to be soooo much betterrrr and amazing
Really enjoyed the film. The ending was brilliant, loved the little the twist too.
This felt like a 70’s cop movie to me. Pace could have been quicker. It’s definitely not a thriller, but a sad story about 2 cops who desperately want closure to point of deluding themselves that they had it in the end.
If you can’t get really get into what they’re both going through, you probably won’t like this.
I wasn’t disappointed by the ending like others here. Anticlimactic? Yes, but I think it suited the film.
An acceptable story with a very lackluster end.
This is a good movie. It's nothing that you haven't seen but Denzel is great and Malick and Leto are both good. They're most of the screen time but the supporting cast, little as they do, is also first-rate. It's a little too long, but that's the disease of our age. Everyone thinks that they're David Lean. If you're in the mood to watch Denzel Washinton act and in the mood for a serial killer movie, this is your ticket. Emotionally satisfying ending.
Actors and direction well, I like how it starts and how it continues, the end not much
There’s not enough focus on the murders or the murderer at times. Joe (Denzel Washington) was demoted after a heart attack and left town. A lot of the movie is about him and his past. As well as him catching up with old friends and an ex wife.
Detective Jim Baxter (Rami Malek) asks for Joe’s help on a serial killer case. Joe thinks solving Jim’s case will some a past case of his.
The chemistry and performances of Washington and Malek kept my attention throughout. Even if the pacing and screenplay needed some work.
In some of the creative process John Lee Hooker left the verisimilitude aside. And although the third act wants to demonstrate what is pointed out throughout the film, that this is not a thriller about the persecution of a murderer, but a psychological profile about a man who tries to account for the mistakes of his past, the development feels languid, the dialogues barely realistic. There are ideas and an intention to do something different, but it falls into neglect.
A crime thriller without a real conclusion of the crime. They should add Drama to the genres.
The acting was good and I appreciate a "real life" movie. Yes, the little things do make the difference and they weren't there.
A generous "6" because of the acting.
the actors did the best they could with this mediocre director
"Don’t you ever get tired of looking at dead bodies"
I really wanted to like this movie. While there are a few scenes that were intense and seemed like it was leading somewhere, this movie left me with more questions and a disappointing third act.
A good thriller/detective movie. The characters could have been fleshed out a bit more if it had been a limited series, but alas it's a movie.
There are a couple of decent surprises in the story. A lot of your standard thriller/detective stuff as well. And overall I feel that it works as a whole.
How I rate:
1-3 :heart: = seriously! don't waste your time
4-6 :heart: = you may or may not enjoy this
7-8 :heart: = I expect you will like this too
9-10 :heart: = movies and TV shows I really love!
Kind of disappointed as I was expecting an edge of your seat thriller...and only received lackluster in return....maybe it was the wrong type of story for the big screen if book based....it seems like the films plot limited the acting abilities of some of my favorite actors at times but I hung in till the end and was left with a bad taste in my mouth...definitely not worth it (just thinking about it I will be removing 1 more srar uggh)
Better than the average thriller suspense movies, I agree that the ending could have had a higher impact but definitely worth the time to watch.
I had to read up on this one because the ending just left me with a few unanswered questions and needed more information and glad it helped me understand the film more and i felt the film was good with a high cast especially Denzel that doesn't let me down and all did well with their roles also I felt it built up big to end with something little and wanted more out of that ending even knowing the reasons to why it ended that way and understanding it more give it more credit because it was decent.
it was a good movie.storyline was good,maybe a little slow on action for some. it probably would have been a six without denzel.but when you have an average movie and you want to make it good you call denzel. he is definitely a g.o.a.t. and with all the b flicks of 2020. i thoght it was refreshing. im glad its 2021
academy award winner Denzel Washington, academy award winner Rami Malek and academy award winner Jared Leto, should've read the script twice!
First half was 8/10, but the second half falls flat. The ending was just disappointing...
I enjoyed the acting and the story until just before the end. It seems I enjoyed it more than other Trakt users, but not unlike the most of them, I was disappointed with the ending. With a proper ending, I think it would've been a decent movie!
Welp... I was extremely bored, it put me right to sleep and that’s rare for a Denzel flick!
It certainly isn't the best work of Denzel or even Rami. I expected more, the whole story is very meh; and the ending is kinda weak. Also, even you kinda "guess" that Jared Leto is the actual killer, they never had any hard proof, so essentially Rami could have killed an innocent man (a crazy, twisted one; but innocent). After all, the ending proof is just a gimmick bought buy Denzel.
Has Jared Leto always sounded like Anthony Jeselnik?
Don’t wait for a perfect, wrapped up ending.
It was pretty good. The weak ending could have been better
Shout by MarcelainVIP 7BlockedParent2021-01-31T03:26:33Z
The most unrealistic thing in this cursed movie is Jared Leto full on wearing his work uniform all day during his day off