Denzel Washington’s 45% Rotten Tomatoes Misfire Made Turning Down This Classic 1990s Thriller Even Worse

Summary

• Denzel Washington’s rejection of Se7en haunted him as The Little Things parallels the thriller’s intricate cop dynamic and twisted ending.
• The Little Things echoes Se7en’s gritty crime thriller vibe, showing Denzel Washington in the opposite cop role he initially declined.
• The Little Things disappointed critics for feeling too familiar to Se7en, lacking originality despite solid performances and direction.

Denzel Washington famously turned down a chance to be in David Fincher’s Se7en, and that decision became even worse thanks to The Little Things. The 2021 crime psychological thriller came from writer/director John Lee Hancock and starred Denzel as Joe Deacon, a veteran cop who becomes entangled in a serial killer murder investigation. The film debuted exclusively on HBO Max as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, and despite sporting a talented supporting cast and a twist-filled The Little Things ending, it was met with a mixed reception from audiences and critics.

The movie came together decades after Denzel Washington turned down Se7en. He thought that Fincher’s film was too dark for him to do at the time, leading to him passing on what would become a major box office hit and critical darling. Denzel still regrets turning down Se7en several years later, something he admitted in the lead-up to The Little Things‘ release. Not having the opportunity to work with Fincher on the thriller may have haunted him then, but the decision looks even worse following how The Little Things turned out.

The Little Things Was Supposed To Be Denzel Washington’s Version Of Se7en

The Little Things & Se7en Have A Lot In Common

Denzel Washington might not have directly done The Little Things as a response to missing out on Se7en, but the similarities between the two films are difficult to ignore. Both movies are psychological crime thrillers that follow two cops, one younger hotshot and one veteran of the job, as they try to solve a serial killer case. That setup has been used by countless movies over the years, but The Little Things even has a 1990s setting despite being made decades later. Furthermore, they both feature endings packed with twists that leave audiences questioning everything.

For the purposes of The Little Things, Denzel Washington plays the older cop, while Rami Malek’s Baxter is the young hotshot he suddenly is paired with. Se7en then casts Morgan Freeman as the veteran cop, while Brad Pitt plays a younger, aspiring cop who has yet to fully understand the darkness of the job. There are notable differences between The Little Things and Se7en, of course, but the broad similarities are noteworthy – especially when Denzel Washington nearly starred in the 1995 thriller, regretted it, and then took part in the 2021 movie.

The Little Things Flipped Denzel Washington’s Rejected Se7en Role

Denzel Was Meant To Have Brad Pitt’s Se7en Role

One of the main differences between The Little Things and Se7en is the role that Denzel Washington plays. When he was courted to be in Fincher’s movie, he was meant to play David Mills, the role that went to Brad Pitt. He would have been the younger cop taken under the wing of a mentor, in this case, Morgan Freeman’s William Somerset. This means that Denzel Washington’s Se7en role was the exact opposite of who he ultimately played in The Little Things, with Deacon falling into a similar mold as Somerset.

The difference between Denzel Washington’s role in The Little Things and who he would have been in Se7en all comes down to timing. When production took place on Fincher’s movie, Washington would have just turned 40, making him eight years older than Brad Pitt. This may have changed part of Mills’ characterization, but the young and older cop dynamic would still be intact between Washington and Freeman. However, by the time he made The Little Things, Denzel was 64 years old, so he perfectly fit into the older cop role.

The Little Things was written in 1993. Se7en’s original script was written in 1991, but the final shooting script was not completed until 1994.

Why The Little Things Didn’t Work As Well As Se7en

The Little Things Was Too Familiar

Denzel Washington’s attempt to have his own Se7en with The Little Things did not bring the same level of acclaim. The Little Things‘ reviews were much less favorable than David Fincher’s movie, which sits at 83% on Rotten Tomatoes. Although Hancock’s direction is solid and the performances from Washington, Rami Malek, and Jared Leto are all serviceable, The Little Things was critiqued for being too familiar. The movie doesn’t do much to add to the genre or offer too many new ideas, making it feel like a product of the 1990s as opposed to a reinvention of films from then.

The similarities that emerged between The Little Things and Se7en are the perfect representation of the critical response to Denzel Washington’s movie. Fincher’s movie was praised at the time for its terrific performances, its brutality, and how its twists and turns led to a satisfying and refreshing finale. Se7en became a classic and its reputation only increased over the years. But, that meant that by the time The Little Things arrived, the film’s similarities became its biggest flaws. If The Little Things came out before Se7en, perhaps the critical reaction would have been slightly better, but some issues would remain.