Denzel Washington's 2021 thriller *The Little Things* has become one of the most-watched titles on Netflix, five years after its lukewarm theatrical and critical reception. The film is notable as the last in a trio of crime dramas across three decades in which Washington effectively tried to compensate for turning down the lead role in *Se7en*, a decision he has publicly called a career regret, having found the original script "too demonic".

Washington's Se7en-adjacent run began with 1998's *Fallen*, a box-office flop that took $25 million against a $46 million budget, followed by 1999's more successful *The Bone Collector* with Angelina Jolie, which grossed over $150 million. *The Little Things*, co-starring Rami Malek and Jared Leto, saw Washington play a detective hunting a serial killer in Los Angeles; it launched simultaneously in cinemas and on HBO Max under Warner Bros.' widely criticised "Project Popcorn" strategy, for which Washington reportedly received a $40 million fee. The film holds a 44% Rotten Tomatoes score but, according to FlixPatrol data, is now among Netflix's most-watched titles globally.