Happy Face

This is more than a story of a serial killer and true crime. After watching the first two episodes, I'm drawn in and want to see how it plays out, not necessarily because of the plot or story line but more because I became invested in the characters' lives and emotions. What is probably most compelling is how I am drawn to the character of Melissa, whose father is the serial killer. We the audience see the flash backs, her experiences, and emotions as she is now dealing with her father's new confession on a 9th victim. In real life, Melissa has written a book about her experiences, which I have not read, nor did I know anything about this story, which means my review of the series is not biased. The acting and script is also decent, and I will keep watching.

The title pulled me in. The premise - a serial killer's daughter hiding her identity - had weight, tension, something dark and promising. And with Analeigh Ashford in the lead, I figured it had the bones to go somewhere. Episode 1 delivered. It leaned into the paranoia, the fear, the secrets.

Then the show took a wrong turn. The original premise faded, replaced by a routine detective drama padded with forgettable side characters and even more forgettable subplots. Melissa, once a compelling center, spirals into something shrill and exhausting. Her husband - a blank. Her daughter - unbearable.

But Dennis Quaid. He does something almost supernatural. As the serial killer - the actual murderer - he becomes the only one you want to watch. Charming, calm, and razor-sharp, he commands every scene with a twisted campy elegance. Somehow, he turns the monster into the magnet. You don't just understand him. You root for him.

It's a masterclass in subversion. The killer becomes the hero. Everyone else fades. And by the end, you realize the most dangerous man in the story is the only one worth following.

It's not bad, but I think it tries to do a lot of things at once, and as result does not get particular good at any of them. There are multiple plotlines (which is fine, of course), and they do make sense considering the circumstances, but most of them feel quite shallow. And investigation bits are not that compelling.

On one hand, that's all understandable, since it's based on real life, and real life is not that "dramatic" most of the time, but this is a TV show, so some extra dramatization could be beneficial. As is it feels more like they had specific points in a plan, that needed to be checked off, and they did just that.

On the other hand, the show has moments when it tries to be almost like a "thriller", especially with some choices in music, and with some camera shots. As if there is some mystery, but there actually is no mystery at all. If the same tension was applied to the whole series, especially to parts related to relationships inside the family - it probably would have had more impact.

This is still a decent watch, though. Annaleigh was great, other actors were not far behind most of the times as well. "The Cranberries" in the soundtrack? And it is way more cohesive compared to "Good American Family", that started around the same time and is also based on true events.

Happy Face, the Paramount+ series based on the true story of Melissa Moore, the daughter of serial killer Keith Hunter Jesperson, aims to be a gripping true-crime drama. While the premise is inherently compelling, the show often veers into exploitative territory, prioritizing sensationalism over a nuanced exploration of grief and trauma.

The series centers on Melissa (Annaleigh Ashford) as she grapples with her father's horrific crimes and his continued attempts to manipulate her from behind bars. Dennis Quaid delivers a chilling performance as Jesperson, capturing his unsettling charm and underlying menace. However, the show's reliance on his character often feels gratuitous, dwelling on the gruesome details of his murders in a way that seems designed to shock rather than inform.

I don't like the character played by Ivy, she used her friend for ratings.

In conclusion, Happy Face is a mixed bag. While it boasts strong performances and a compelling central story, its tendency towards exploitation and excessive drama ultimately undermines its potential. The show raises important questions about the ethics of true-crime storytelling, but it often falls victim to the very issues it seeks to critique. Rather than offering a thoughtful exploration of grief and trauma, Happy Face too often settles for sensationalism, leaving the viewer feeling more manipulated than enlightened.

Great to see Dennis Quaid pull through with a creepy and hateable character.

The show is compelling and has got me well booked into where it's going to go

The hateable cast making dumb decisions details the otherwise interesting progression of the case, with the horrible performance by Annaleigh Ashford not doing any favours to my ability to watch more than 5 minutes without absolutely cringing.

Not 1 sentence, not 1 frame, not 1 expression is worthy of giving this woman the title of an "Actor". Absolutely drags the sub par performance of everyone else down with her...

Let's see where this goes...