Denzel Washington and Rami Malek portray lawmen on the hunt for a serial killer in Los Angeles in the brand new trailer for The Little Things, a psychological thriller from writer-director John Lee Hancock.

The prime suspect is played by Jared Leto, whose cat-and-mouse games fire up the tension in the flick.

Kern County Deputy Sheriff Joe “Deke” Deacon (Washington) is unofficially recruited by the lead investigator, Los Angeles Sheriff Department Sergeant Jim Baxter (Malek) in the clip.

They join forces to track the potential killer, but past events may put a spanner in the works.

“There’s something I gotta know. How’s a guy with the best clearance rate in the department work 15 years without a promotion?” Baxter asks Deacon.

“Maybe I didn’t go to the right church,” Deacon responds, hinting at secrets in his own past and unearthed trauma that he hopes will stay buried.

Leto’s character is later brought in for questioning and teases the police officers after he escapes charges for any wrongdoing.

In addition to the three Oscar-winning actors, the eclectic cast includes Natalie Morales, Terry Kinney, Chris Bauer, Joris Jarsky, Isabel Arraiza and Michael Hyatt.

The film will premiere in cinemas as well as stream via HBO Max on January 29th.

It was also announced recently that 30 Seconds to Mars frontman and actor Leto would portray art pop icon Andy Warhol in an upcoming biopic.

Watch the drama-fuelled trailer for The Little Things below: