Who Was the Killer in Denzel Washington’s Thriller ‘The Little Things’?

The Little Things follows a deputy sheriff named Joe "Deke" Deacon (Washington) who teams up with a sergeant named Jim Baxter (Malek) to investigate a series of killings in the Los Angeles area. The slight plot twist, however, comes when the investigation starts to remind Deacon of his past. Secrets are revealed that could impact the case negatively, so prepare for a wild ride.

Aside from Washington and Malek, The Little Things features fellow Academy Award winner Jared Leto as the primary suspect, Albert Sparma. The film also stars Sofia Vassilieva, Natalie Morales and Washington’s daughter, Olivia.

Well, I originally thought the serial killer was most definitely Albert Sparma, the person Deke and Baxter were hunting. However, the identity of the killer is never revealed, which leaves both the audience and detectives unsure if the perpetrator is, indeed, Sparma. It’s highly annoying for people (like myself) who can’t stand when films have vague endings, but it’s also reflective as many murder cases have, unfortunately, gone cold.

The Little Things essentially ends with Baxter inadvertently killing Sparma in the desert. When Deke arrives to help Baxter cover up the crime, the audience learns that Deke also accidentally killed somebody years ago and has carried the guilt ever since. In an effort to move forward, Baxter tries to convince himself that the killer was, indeed, Sparma. The only problem with that is…Deke never found evidence linking him to the crime.

The Little Things was directed by John Lee Hancock, whose other notable credits include The Rookie, The Blindside, The Highway Men, The Founder and plenty more. In a January 2021 interview with IndieWire, Hancock spoke with reporter Anne Thompson about the ending of The Little Things.

"It seemed that all psychological thrillers, serial killer movies, and crime dramas had two interesting parts followed by a third with twists and misdirections," he said. "In the third act, you identify who the bad guy is and face off with him, usually in an action sequence," and the good guy dispatches the bad guy in a grisly way. The thematic intentions are different than people thought they would be. There’s no joy in Mudville at the end of this movie."