Summary

• Los Angeles in the 1990s was a hotbed for crime and serial killers, inspiring the gritty realism of The Little Things.
• Despite its realistic portrayal, The Little Things is a fictional story with no basis on true events or individuals.
• The film accurately depicts the challenges of forensic science and the hunt for elusive killers in 1990s Los Angeles.

The Little Things is a gripping crime thriller, and its realism raises questions about whether it is based on a true story. Set in Los Angeles during the 1990s, the film was written by director John Lee Hancock in 1993, after which the project remained in a state of developmental stasis for three decades. The film follows Joe Deacon and James Baxter as they investigate the murder of Ronda Rathbun, leading them to zero in on evidence that Albert Sparma is the killer, making him their prime suspect.

The city of Los Angeles was no safe haven for its dwellers in the 1990s. It had emerged as a hotbed for criminal activity, with a rapid rise of serial killers who often stalked their prey at night. Everything from the start to The Little Things' ending are evocative of these times, as the search for Ronda Rathbun's killer and the investigation of Albert Sparma seem all too real. One is reminded of the terrible killings carried out by the likes of William Suff and the Hillside Strangler, creating questions about whether The Little Things is a true story.

The Little Things Is Not Based On A True Story

The Story Is Completely Fictional & Created By Hancock

Despite how real the movie's story might seem at times, it is confirmed that The Little Things is not based on real historical events. There are no real versions of Deacon, Baxter, or Sparma that Hancock used as inspiration for the story. The director confirmed the lack of "underlying material" that directly influenced his work in an interview with Deadline. The stories of cops like Deacon or Baxter might be familiar, and killers like the one who murdered Rathbun did exist. But, there is no exact case or people that The Little Things brings to life.

In essence, The Little Things' murder case does not mimic a real-life incident or base its killer on a particular murderer. It could be better described as an amalgamation of the overall historical setting and criminology of the times. That is why there could be some similarities to various cases or people from the same time period but there is no mention of The Little Things' true story that inspired it. Hancock's movie is a wholly original tale that he wrote based on his love for the genre and knowledge of Los Angeles in the 1990s.

How Real '90s Crime In LA Inspired The Little Things

The Movie Brings The Real Los Angeles Of The 1990s To Life

The Little Things meticulously brings the realism of Los Angeles and criminal work to life. Examples like an analyst saying a partial print for Albert Sparma is one parameter short of the requisite yardstick reflect the developmental stages of forensic science at the time show how accurate to real life the movie is. There are multiple other instances of the film's investigative procedures drawing from the actual experience of detectives at the time, including how difficult it is for Baxter and Deacon to narrow down the list of possible suspects for Rathbun's killer.

The real Los Angeles crime scene of the 1990s is also reflected in how the movie treats the hunt to find the real killer. Due to the limitations of technology, analysis, and records, it was much more complicated to find elusive serial killers. That is why Deacon and Baxter become so fixated on Sparma, as they finally find someone who seemingly checks all the boxes. There are even parallels to be made between Deacon and Baxter's illegal actions in The Little Things and what real cops were doing at the same time.

Source: Deadline