The Little Things
Deputy Sheriff Joe "Deke" Deacon joins forces with Sgt. Jim Baxter to search for a serial killer who's terrorizing Los Angeles. As they track the culprit, Baxter is unaware that the investigation is dredging up echoes of Deke's past, uncovering disturbing secrets that could threaten more than his case.
The film disappointed at the box office against its respectable budget of $30.0M, earning $29.9M globally (0% loss).
Plot Structure
Story beats plotted across runtime
Narrative Arc
Emotional journey through the story's key moments
Story Circle
Blueprint 15-beat structure
Arcplot Score Breakdown
Weighted: Precision (70%) + Arc (15%) + Theme (15%)
The Little Things (2021) reveals strategically placed story structure, characteristic of John Lee Hancock's storytelling approach. This structural analysis examines how the film's 15-point plot structure maps to proven narrative frameworks across 2 hours and 8 minutes. With an Arcplot score of 7.4, the film balances conventional beats with creative variation.
Structural Analysis
The Status Quo at 2 minutes (2% through the runtime) establishes Deputy Joe Deacon drives alone on a dark highway at night, following a woman's car. His haunted, sleep-deprived demeanor establishes a man running from his past.. The analysis reveals that this early placement immediately immerses viewers in the story world.
The inciting incident occurs at 15 minutes when Deke encounters a fresh crime scene: another young woman murdered. The MO matches unsolved cases from his past, pulling him back into the world that destroyed him.. At 12% through the film, this Disruption aligns precisely with traditional story structure. This beat shifts the emotional landscape, launching the protagonist into the central conflict.
The First Threshold at 32 minutes marks the transition into Act II, occurring at 25% of the runtime. This illustrates the protagonist's commitment to Deke secretly pulls his old case files and fully commits to staying in LA to hunt the killer, defying his captain's orders to return to Kern County. He chooses obsession over safety., moving from reaction to action.
At 64 minutes, the Midpoint arrives at 50% of the runtime—precisely centered, creating perfect narrative symmetry. Structural examination shows that this crucial beat Deke confronts Sparma directly. Sparma toys with him, hinting at guilt but offering no proof. The stakes escalate: it becomes personal. Deke learns details about his past case file have been accessed - someone is watching., fundamentally raising what's at risk. The emotional intensity shifts, dividing the narrative into clear before-and-after phases.
The Collapse moment at 96 minutes (75% through) represents the emotional nadir. Here, Sparma takes Baxter into the desert claiming he'll show where he buried a victim. Baxter realizes he has no evidence, no backup, and may have brought an innocent man to his death - or is being led to his own., shows the protagonist at their lowest point. This beat's placement in the final quarter sets up the climactic reversal.
The Second Threshold at 106 minutes initiates the final act resolution at 83% of the runtime. Deke arrives and finds Baxter with Sparma's body. Without hesitation, Deke chooses to help Baxter cover up the killing. He understands: this is what hunting monsters costs. The cycle continues., demonstrating the transformation achieved throughout the journey.
Emotional Journey
The Little Things's emotional architecture traces a deliberate progression across 15 carefully calibrated beats.
Narrative Framework
This structural analysis employs proven narrative structure principles that track dramatic progression. By mapping The Little Things against these established plot points, we can identify how John Lee Hancock utilizes or subverts traditional narrative conventions. The plot point approach reveals not only adherence to structural principles but also creative choices that distinguish The Little Things within the drama genre.
John Lee Hancock's Structural Approach
Among the 6 John Lee Hancock films analyzed on Arcplot, the average structural score is 7.1, reflecting strong command of classical structure. The Little Things represents one of the director's most structurally precise works. For comparative analysis, explore the complete John Lee Hancock filmography.
Comparative Analysis
Additional drama films include Eye for an Eye, South Pacific and Kiss of the Spider Woman. For more John Lee Hancock analyses, see The Blind Side, The Rookie and The Alamo.
Plot Points by Act
Act I
SetupStatus Quo
Deputy Joe Deacon drives alone on a dark highway at night, following a woman's car. His haunted, sleep-deprived demeanor establishes a man running from his past.
Theme
At LASD, a colleague tells Deke: "It's the little things that get you caught." The film's central theme about obsession, detail, and what we sacrifice in pursuit of justice.
Worldbuilding
Deke arrives in LA from Kern County for routine evidence collection. We learn he was once a decorated LASD detective who had a breakdown. He's now a small-town deputy, demoted and haunted.
Disruption
Deke encounters a fresh crime scene: another young woman murdered. The MO matches unsolved cases from his past, pulling him back into the world that destroyed him.
Resistance
Detective Jim Baxter, the new hotshot who replaced Deke, reluctantly allows him to consult. Deke debates whether to stay involved, but his obsession with the old cases won't let him leave. Baxter represents everything Deke lost.
Act II
ConfrontationFirst Threshold
Deke secretly pulls his old case files and fully commits to staying in LA to hunt the killer, defying his captain's orders to return to Kern County. He chooses obsession over safety.
Mirror World
Baxter and Deke form an uneasy partnership. Baxter is the mirror: young, successful, married with children, everything Deke was before his fall. Their relationship will explore the cost of catching monsters.
Premise
The investigation deepens. Deke and Baxter chase leads, interview suspects, and narrow in on Albert Sparma, a creepy crime buff. Deke's methods become increasingly obsessive and unorthodox, disturbing Baxter.
Midpoint
Deke confronts Sparma directly. Sparma toys with him, hinting at guilt but offering no proof. The stakes escalate: it becomes personal. Deke learns details about his past case file have been accessed - someone is watching.
Opposition
Sparma plays mind games with both detectives. Evidence is circumstantial. Baxter grows desperate and begins mirroring Deke's obsession. The department pressures them. Deke's past is revealed: he had a heart attack at a crime scene, contaminated evidence, and a suspect walked free.
Collapse
Sparma takes Baxter into the desert claiming he'll show where he buried a victim. Baxter realizes he has no evidence, no backup, and may have brought an innocent man to his death - or is being led to his own.
Crisis
In the desert, Sparma taunts Baxter to dig while maintaining ambiguity about his guilt. Baxter's rage builds as he realizes Sparma may just be a disturbed voyeur, not the killer. In a moment of loss of control, Baxter strikes Sparma with a shovel, killing him.
Act III
ResolutionSecond Threshold
Deke arrives and finds Baxter with Sparma's body. Without hesitation, Deke chooses to help Baxter cover up the killing. He understands: this is what hunting monsters costs. The cycle continues.
Synthesis
Deke and Baxter dispose of Sparma's body and evidence. They return to their lives, bound by shared guilt. Deke searches Sparma's apartment thoroughly, finding no definitive proof of guilt - only the obsessive artifacts of a crime groupie.
Transformation
Deke sends Baxter a red barrette - supposedly evidence of Sparma's guilt. But we see Deke bought it at a store. He's giving Baxter a lie to live with, a "little thing" to ease the guilt. Baxter is now as haunted and compromised as Deke. The cycle of obsession and moral corruption is complete.