Denzel Washington, Rami Malek and Jared Leto star in new thriller 'The Little Things'

LOS ANGELES -- A trio of Oscar winners face off in the new thriller "The Little Things."

The movie stars Denzel Washington, Rami Malek and Jared Leto who are involved in the search for a serial killer in Los Angeles. Leto's character is the man believed to be that killer. Washington and Malek are the law enforcement officers working together to solve the high-profile, high-stakes game.

"You can see how these guys get so obsessed with that cat-and-mouse game," said Malek. "I don't think at any point you're solving anything as an audience member, so it's a gradual build to the very end and it keeps rising until that very last second."

"I was reading some comments on something and there were people saying they thought my character was really the killer," said Washington. "It sets you up like it's going to be typical and then it has these - it's really not about what you think it's about."

As he's done in several previous films, Leto again makes quite a transformation in "The Little Things."

"I enjoy pushing myself in every way physically and all the rest," said Leto. "It's exciting to me and I like the challenge. I always find that the harder that I need to work, the better the reward."

Washington says this project was all about the work, summing up the experience this way:

"Not a tense set but an intense set," said Washington. "The crew takes their cues from the actors and actors weren't playing."

"The Little Things" will hit a few area drive-ins and HBO Max Friday, Jan. 29.