“The Little Things” is a film that will keep you wanting more, but the more you watch, the more questions you will have than answers.
The film stars award winning actor, Denzel Washington, and “Dallas Buyers Club” actor, Jared Leto. Based on the film, which is set in the early 1990s, the whole plot is about a sheriff named Joe Deacon, also known as ‘Deke,’ who decides to team up with Detective Jim Baxter. Together, they go out to track down a suspected serial killer named Albert Sparma after several homicides that occurred in the city of Los Angeles.
The plot then starts to thicken once Sparma begins to intentionally ridicule and hassle both Detective Baxter and sheriff Officer Deacon.
As both Baxter and Deacon keep the investigation going, Deacon starts to have triggers of his past due to a previous case he had worked on when he formerly worked as an “elite crime solver.”
One of most interesting details from the film is how Deacon frequently repeats the same lines, often saying to Baxter, “It’s the little things that get you caught.” Based on this detail, this had meant that any little thing or mistake can trace back to someone, in a way where it could potentially get you caught.
Another intriguing detail from the film is how Sparma tells Baxter that he has never committed any homicides, which leads the audience to question his innocence even more.
At the beginning, the viewers are led to believe that Sparma is definitely guilty. However, as the film proceeds with more questions than answers, we are left wondering whether Sparma is truly a suspect and if he did actually commit all the homicides in Los Angeles.
There are a few scenes in the film that do imply that Sparma is the murderer, but there are other scenes that imply that he is not.
The third most appealing detail from the film is how there are some clues that lead to the suspected killer, Sparma, possibly being the actual suspect.
For example, one scene in particular is when Deacon gives Baxter a red barrette. This is another detail that brings into question as to whether Sparma did commit the crimes. It’s a suspenseful element due to how the clues lead to dead ends.
The fourth captivating detail, which is toward the end of the film, is when Sparma lures Baxter to a secluded desert. This is where Sparma manipulates Baxter into thinking that one of the bodies of one of the victims named Rhonda Rathbun would be discovered.
After arriving to the deserted area, Sparma then assists Baxter with where to dig for the body. Eventually, there is no body recovered and there are still no answers in the end.