Denzel Washington is back in his first feature film since 2018. That alone should be the best reason to see "The Little Things."

But when Rami Malek and Jared Leto are also part of the project, it's a guarantee that the movie will be decent no matter what.

Fans of crime thrillers will enjoy this movie directed and written by John Lee Hancock, but it takes a little patience to understand where the director's imperfect story is coming from.

THE LITTLE THINGS – Official Trailerwww.youtube.com

Deke (Washington) is a perceptive Kern County deputy sheriff who teams up with a level-headed Los Angeles detective named Baxter to catch a serial killer. During the investigation, Deke is facing ghosts of his past when he realizes the killer gruesomely murders women and displays their bodies in a disturbing manner similar to a case from his past as a detective. When Albert Sparma (Jared Leto) becomes a prime suspect, the duo stops at nothing and risks it all to find evidence against the sadistic man.

All three headlining actors are phenomenal in their roles. Washington plays Deke with a mysterious personality while Leto plays his creepiest role yet. And it's exciting to watch Malek spiral from calm to crazy with viewers, one scene at a time.

But for a film that is about two hours, the ending leaves something to be desired. For some, it might be a waste of time considering it leaves an empty feeling with no satisfaction. But if viewers look a little closer, they'll realize Hancock is telling the story of the psychological effects this case had on two seemingly different men who had more in common than they admit.

However, even though the ending could've been done differently, "Little Things" is consistently engaging. Sure, it's nothing different from other crime thrillers, but it delivers a combination of predictable yet surprising emotions with each decision Sparma makes.

Score: 8/10

"The Little Things" premieres in theaters and on HBO Max on Friday, January 29.

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