This Denzel Washington Crime Thriller Is Now on Netflix

A star-studded crime thriller starring none other than Denzel Washington recently dropped on Netflix. The film is written and directed by celebrated filmmaker John Lee Hancock (The Blind Side and Mr. Harrigan’s Phone) and it’s called The Little Things. If you haven’t heard of it, you’re not alone. The picture bowed in theaters and on HBO’s Max simultaneously during the Covid era and it seems this gritty thriller has gotten lost in the shuffle in the years since. Rightfully so? Well, that depends on who you ask.

What went wrong with The Little Things?

Ben Rolph at Discussing Film labeled the picture a “lackluster Se7en rip-off. That reaction struck me as more than a little ironic, considering that Washington declined the chance to play Detective Mills in that celebrated David Fincher horror picture. The role eventually went to none other than Brad Pitt.

Washington previously admitted that he “blew it” by passing on the part. Perhaps he signed on to serial killer thriller The Little Things to avoid making the same mistake twice. Washington plays a very similar role here to the one he declined to play in Se7en. The actor stars as a lawman investigating a series of grisly murders in the Los Angeles area.

In spite of a cast that includes Washington and fellow Oscar winners Rami Malek and Jared Leto, moviegoers and critics alike struggled to get past the formulaic nature of the picture, which many said shamelessly recycles tropes from superior crime thrillers released in the ‘90s.

With that said, most criticized the screenplay, not the quality of the performances featured within or the direction. So, if you’re keen to see a collection of talented artists collaborate on a project that doesn’t always reach the level of greatness, head over to Netflix and check it out. You could certainly do much worse.

The setup for The Little Things goes like this:

Deputy Sheriff Joe “Deke” Deacon (Washington) joins forces with Sgt. Jim Baxter (Malek) to search for a serial killer who’s terrorizing Los Angeles. As they track the culprit, Baxter is unaware that the investigation is dredging up echoes of Deke’s past, uncovering disturbing secrets that could threaten more than his case.

That’s all we’ve got at present. Stay tuned for more updates on which films are available to stream and where you can find them. Also, be sure to follow @DreadCentral on Twitter (X) so you never miss an important announcement.

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