When Warner Bros. announced that its lineup of movies for 2021 would be premiering on HBO Max as well as in theaters, fans of the streaming service rejoiced. Had they known that many of the movies coming out were straight-to-streaming level quality, they might not have been as happy.
“The Little Things,” a murder mystery set in the 1990s and written, directed and produced by John Lee Hancock had unlimited potential.
Fans of the hit movie “Se7en” know that Denzel Washington can play the role of detective as well as any actor alive. Rami Malek, playing the fellow detective and Jared Leto, playing the suspected serial killer, didn’t disappoint in their roles either.
Leto’s performance was particularly outstanding, and he has already earned a Golden Globe nomination for best supporting actor. He plays the part of his character, Albert Sparma, exceptionally well, creating an air of undeniable creepiness and psychopathy throughout the entire movie.
And yet, something about the movie just didn’t click how it was supposed to. In the already oversaturated genre of crime movies, “The Little Things” just didn’t stand out.
Add onto that the fact that it felt like a hollow imitation of “Se7en,” and what could have had the potential to be an instant classic will likely fade into obscurity by the end of 2021.
While the movie does contain some twists and turns that make it a watchable experience, they felt mistimed, unimpactful or as if they were there just to force the movie into the classic “crime drama” formula that has produced so many successes before it.
Nonetheless, the movie still topped the box office the weekend it was released bringing in $4.8 million. While that’s almost nothing compared to how movies did pre-COVID-19, it’s a surprisingly high number for a release in the middle of a pandemic.
Something of interest to note were statistics of the age groups that went to see the movie in person. Eighty percent of movie attendees were over the age of 25, a drastic leap from the usual average of 60% of moviegoers over the age of 25.
While it may be that “The Little Things” appealed more to the older crowd, another theory is that it’s a direct result of the seriousness with which different age groups treat COVID-19. Either way, it will be something to watch in the industry as a whole going forward.
As far as the movie itself goes, ultimately it’s definitely watchable and enjoyable, but it doesn’t live up to any hype that may have surrounded it. Going into “The Little Things,” expect a mediocre crime drama with stellar acting that carries the film on its back.
