The Little Things

"It's the little things, Jimmy. It's the little things that rip you apart. It's the little things that get you caught."

For every Silence of the Lambs, Seven, or Zodiac, there are several thriller wannabes such as Kiss the Girls and The Bone Collector. Each of those starred Denzel Washington. 

Although Washington is in older, slower, Morgan Freeman-mode here, he's back at it in The Little Things, with very little success. It's not his fault.

Not only do we have one of our lifetime's greatest actors in this John Lee Hancock film (Highwaymen, The Blind Side), but we also have two other Academy Award-winners, Rami Malek (Bohemian Rhapsody) and Jared Leto (Dallas Buyers Club). All three actors seem to be acting in three different films with Malek's soulless enigma at odds with Leto's exaggerated, comedic Joker character — and both at unintended odds with Washington's slow burn.

Thanks to Washington's grounded performance, an insightful exploration of cop job-obsession, and a chilling mystery it's an enjoyable ride for a while, but the payoff comes with a third act that defies all basic logic and insults anyone who invested two hours-plus in this film. Even if it's free on HBOMax.

Simply put: Turns out, it's the big things that matter. Like a solid third act.

Award potential: It's been an Oscar predictions asterisk until its recent release; it's off all lists this week.

The Ten Buck Review: Not worth ten bucks. (Currently in theaters and streaming on HBOMax.)