YMMV / The Little Things

• Esoteric Happy Ending: More of an "esoteric Bittersweet Ending." While the identity of the killer will be a Riddle for the Ages to audiences, Jimmy and Deke would know within days whether they got the right guy based on whether the killings stop or not. Unless, of course, they got the wrong man and the real killer decides to move to a different part of the country to continue killing.
• Nightmare Fuel: The opening scene is one of the most intense and unnerving parts of the film. A young woman is driving down a dark, deserted highway, just minding her own business and singing along to the radio, when another car starts getting too close and intimidating her. She becomes alarmed enough that she pulls over at a diner (it's 1990 so calling for help from a cellphone isn't an option) and the other car pulls over as well. The woman goes into full panic mode, banging on the windows and pleading for help, only no one is there. Meanwhile, the man in the car casually gets out, takes something out of the trunk and then begins walking up to her. She runs for it through the bushes, desperately trying to get to the road to flag down a vehicle while the man stalks her. Her relief when she manages to get a truck's attention is palpable; we subsequently learn what the Serial Killer has been doing to other women and realize just how fortunate she is.
• So Okay, It's Average: The movie ultimately received a completely tepid reception, being considered largely competent with good performances from the leads but nothing to write home about. It also garnered unfavorable comparisons to Se7en and given the protests against police brutality in the summer of 2020, a film where the police get away with murder twice and are still presented sympathetically just wasn't resonating with audiences.

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