Denzel, doing somewhat Denzel things, is probably the best way to sum up “The Little things” in its purest form.

The Little Things is a dramatic, melancholy thriller that keeps you clenched to your seat and will keep you guessing at every twist and turn. It will leave an everlasting impression. The movie starts out on a dark, long, open road, on the outskirts of L.A., with a young girl being stalked and chased down a highway trying to escape from an unidentified assailant. She seemingly finds her escape from a truck driving nearby.

The scene then cuts to an old, hick town in Kern County where we meet our friend, Joe “Deke” Deacon played by the renowned Denzel Washington. Deacon is assigned the task of collecting evidence on an “unforgettable” pair of boots from his former workplace in Los Angeles so a current case can stand trial. Deacon reluctantly tries to pass it off as a task for the D.A. with discomfort in his eyes but Deacon is reminded that without this piece of evidence, there is no trial, and the burden lands on his shoulders to make it happen.

Deacon arrives at the evidence lab, where he runs into Detective Jim Baker ( Bohemian Rhapsody’s Rami Malek) trying to get Joe’s car towed for blocking his car in. Bonding over some recent events Jim divulges the details of a recent case and asks Joe if he wants to come for the ride, which is where this thriller begins.

This new case has Deacon having flashbacks to a previous case as the similarities at this crime scene are too much to ignore. Not being able to ignore these signs Joe returns to run his own investigation parallel to Detective Baker’s, to find who he personally thinks the killer is. This leads Joe down a rabbit hole of ‘little things’ that have big implications.

Jared Leto also stars in this title and does a better job at reprising that kooky, menacing type of character than he did as the Suicide Squad’s Joker. He does quite a more sophisticated turn as the antagonist in “The Little Things” and delivers a bit more than a one note performance this time around. It’s a shame that some of the other big stars didn’t also step up to the plate when they know they have such star power performances under their belts.

Overall, writer-director John Lee Hancock does an outstanding job keeping you on the edge of your seat making you continuously guess the outcome of “The Little Things”. It seems the supporting actors play more of a massive part in this thriller, providing intricate details of the story almost as if they were the actual main characters after all. While it seems very realistic and engaging, the ending felt rushed and too mind-boggling, with a twist just slapped in for good measure. While it equates to a good scene overall, it does provide answers to some of the main questions you would’ve had but also leaves a few others unanswered. “The Little Things ” is out February 18th, and is a solid investigative tale.

Written by: Kyle Emblem