A crime thriller thirty years in the making finally hits the big screen
In short: John Lee Hancock wrote the original draft for The Little Things in 1993, but the project languished in development hell for decades. When it finally arrived in 2021, it brought together a powerhouse cast to explore the dark, obsessive nature of police work in a neo-noir landscape.
The film follows two detectives, Joe 'Deke' Deacon and Jimmy Baxter, as they investigate a string of murders in early 1990s Los Angeles. Deacon, a deputy sheriff from Kern County and former LASD detective, becomes obsessed with a suspect named Albert Sparma. The narrative mirrors the psychological toll of serial killer investigations, drawing frequent comparisons to the 1995 classic Seven. Critics noted that the film feels deeply familiar to genre fans, with some reviewers arguing that its suspense is offset by a lack of original substance beneath its eerie exterior.
Development of the project was notoriously difficult. Hancock penned the screenplay in 1993, and at various points, directors like Steven Spielberg were attached, though Spielberg reportedly passed because the story was too dark. Other figures, including Clint Eastwood, Warren Beatty, and Danny DeVito, were also linked to the project over the years. The film finally moved into production in 2019, with Denzel Washington, Rami Malek, and Jared Leto cast in the lead roles. Principal photography took place in Los Angeles between September and December 2019.
Upon its release on January 29, 2021, the film faced a unique distribution model, debuting simultaneously in theaters and on HBO Max for one month. It performed well at the box office relative to its $30 million budget, grossing $30.8 million worldwide. While the screenplay received mixed reviews, the performances were widely praised; Jared Leto earned nominations for both a Golden Globe and a Screen Actors Guild Award for his portrayal of the enigmatic Sparma. Ultimately, the film serves as a study of how unresolved cases can haunt investigators, leaving them to grapple with the blurred lines between justice and personal obsession.
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- Summary by Intellect · source: The Little Things (2021 film)
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