As for Leto, he’s an actor who’s constantly undone by his need to let the audience know how hard he’s working. Think Se7en or The Silence of the Lambs with all their weirdest, darkest, most memorable edges sanded off, and that's The Little Things. SEE ALSO: 'Gone Girl' gave a face to an ancient monster of myth. More Always Open. Some movie murderers eat people or skin people or stage elaborate tableaus. Still, for a while, it kinda works. But the way the “guilty” are framed renders them pitiable victims of circumstance and mental illness. Read on to find out more. A strong, silent type with a prickly intelligence and a haunted expression, Deke is the kind of role Washington could play in his sleep. 1,156 people like this. The HBO Max app on your phone or tablet; Here's how to download: Open the HBO Max app on your phone or tablet and sign in (if needed). You can stream Tom and Jerry on HBO Max through 3/28. The go-to source for comic book and superhero movie fans. As the site's Chief Film Critic, he has authored hundreds of reviews and covered major film festivals including the Toronto International Film Festival and the Sundance Film Festival. On paper, Deke is a fairly predictable and bland character, but you would never know it because Washington is so adept at adding little touches, flairs, and nuances that never dominate the frame. Topics: The Little Things, HBO Max, Streaming. When the film does finally reveal what it’s trying to do in its third act, I couldn’t help but meet the outcome with an annoyed shrug. Covering the hottest movie and TV topics that fans want. HBO Max has finally launched, and like a lot of people, you might be wondering if your HBO subscription will get you in the door at no extra charge. You're getting a lot of him -- he stars in two roles in An American … But when the beats feel this familiar, you're probably better off just putting on one of those old favorites again. Related 'The Investigation': HBO's Danish Drama Is … 'Gone Girl' gave a face to an ancient monster of myth. Owen Gleiberman of Variety called “The Little Things” a “recycled thriller” that “feels like a rerun” and Dan Jolin of Empire espoused, “They don’t make ‘em like this anymore, and, to be honest, they probably shouldn’t.” Ouch. HBO GO. Malek excels when he’s playing outsiders. Can't they see Sparma is just some tiresome Oscar winner braying for attention from under a shoddy fake beer belly? 304 - Why 'WandaVision' Was (Mostly) a Success. That’s not to say that no one is ever allowed to make that kind of movie again, and certainly when you’ve got acclaimed acting talent like Hancock does here, one would think that the filmmaker had created a dazzling example of the genre. The Little Things is fine for some stylish cinematography and reliably great Washington performance, but those don’t make up for all the other places where the film stumbles. The film received mixed reviews from critics, who praised the performances, direction, and atmosphere but noted the film as familiar and criticized the screenplay, with some comparing it unfavorably to the 1995 film Seven . The Little Things is brand-new on HBO Max this month, but you'd be forgiven for thinking you half-remember it from flipping channels back in the '90s. Aside from its thematic conclusions (which I won’t spoil here), there’s nothing particularly disruptive or unique about what the film is doing. If you're using an audio-video receiver, make sure your speakers are properly connected to your receiver. Deke ( Denzel Washington ), a burnt-out Kern County, CA deputy sheriff teams up with Baxter ( Rami Malek ), a crack LASD detective, to nab a serial killer. Leto’s Sparma feels like he went to Party City, bought the “Serial Killer” costume, and can’t wait to show it off to everyone he meets. The Little Things looks exactly as you'd expect a star-studded crime drama to look (lots of shadows, sickly fluorescent lights inside and harsh street lights outside), and sound exactly as you'd expect it to sound (lots of hard-boiled dialogue about Deke and Baxter's pessimistic worldview). That story ends not with Baxter sitting pensively by his swimming pool, but probably with a paid leave-of-absence followed by either his return to the department or a transfer to a new county. Though the name “HBO Max” suggests a super-sized HBO, much of the original programming will be branded as “Max Originals” rather than HBO—50 of 88 projects planned for 2021, for instance. Unplug your streaming media player (e.g. Not pictured: Jared Leto's aggressively fake looking beer belly. About See All. If you already have HBO If you subscribe to HBO through one of the providers below, you get access to HBO Max (at no extra cost! They are all pretty good, but among them, The Lady Vanishes is extra special. There are probably worse ways to spend an evening than with a passable pastiche of beloved '90s hits. A few religious references hint at some deeper thematic reckoning that never comes, while super-literal soundtrack choices — "I Will Follow Him" when the cops are following a suspect, for example — offer diminishing returns as the film's only joke. Hancock is a competent filmmaker, if not a particularly exciting one, and fueled by the chemistry between Washington and Malek, The Little Things cruises along at an agreeable enough clip to inspire inertia: Eh, I've already watched this much, might as well stick around to see what happens. HBO Max not working Follow. Page Transparency See More. The Little Things is streaming on HBO Max. About Us & Contact. If anything, the film, despite ostensibly being a grisly crime thriller, is comforting for how closely it plays to the beats of a familiar genre. If you buy something through links on our site, Mashable may earn an affiliate commission. The Little Things was released in the United States on January 29, 2021 by Warner Bros. Pictures, as well as a month-long simultaneous release on the HBO Max streaming service. There’s really not much more to the movie than that. Robot strangeness even when it makes little sense for the character). Leto's Alfred Sparma is introduced midway through the movie as Deke and Baxter's prime suspect, a stringy-haired weirdo who's one step ahead of the cops at every turn and clearly relishes the cat-and-mouse game they're playing. Reviews on the latest content on HBO Max. Get HBO Max at No Additional Cost ‌If you’re a current HBO subscriber, you might already have access to HBO Max — all of HBO plus even more blockbuster movies, must-see series, and new Max Originals. Deke is sent down to Los Angeles, where he clashes with a hotshot younger detective, Jimmy Baxter (Rami Malek, unable to totally shake off that Mr. Make sure the volume on your TV is not low or muted. By default, downloading is limited to WiFi. There’s really not much more to the movie than that. The '90s setting offers little in the way of insight into the era, but turns out to be good for keeping cell phones out of the storyline and avoiding direct commentary on the current conversation around law enforcement. 1,198 people follow this. For help, including how to sign up, sign in, or stream in 4K HDR, visit here . The pair start to suspect they're searching for a single killer, as suggested by his genre-mandated creepy calling card.