Analyzing ‘Happy Face’ on Paramount+: Avoiding True-Crime Pitfalls

Paramount+ recently premiered the first two episodes of its new true-crime drama Happy Face, based on the real-life story of Melissa Moore, the daughter of notorious serial killer Keith Hunter Jesperson, also known as the “Happy Face Killer.” The show stars Annaleigh Ashford as Melissa Jesperson-Moore, a makeup artist for a daytime talk show called The Dr. Greg Show. Melissa discovers in high school that her father, played by Dennis Quaid, is the Happy Face Killer, who brutally murdered at least eight women in the 1990s and signed his confessions with smiley faces.

In the series, The Dr. Greg Show plans to air an episode about the Happy Face Killer, leading to a strained connection between Melissa and her estranged father. Keith reveals to Melissa that there was a supposed ninth victim, putting her in a difficult position. To investigate the claim could jeopardize her family’s anonymity, but ignoring it could lead to the wrongful execution of Elijah, a Black man on death row.

Melissa eventually comes forward publicly on the show to reveal her identity, driven partly by the district attorney’s insistence on moving forward with Elijah’s execution despite mounting evidence of his innocence. While Annaleigh Ashford delivers a solid performance, the series as a whole feels wandering and underdeveloped thematically. Dennis Quaid portrays Jesperson with a smug menace, and the supporting cast doesn’t quite leave a lasting impact.

The show fictionalizes the ninth victim based on Moore’s podcast and autobiography, while Jesperson himself claimed responsibility for numerous murders, although only eight have been confirmed. Happy Face attempts to avoid the typical true-crime focus on the killer by centering on his daughter, but the approach falls short by neglecting the stories of the killer’s victims. The show’s thematic execution feels lacking, landing somewhere between exploitative and meaningful storytelling, but ultimately lacking impact.

Overall, despite strong performances from the cast, Happy Face struggles to strike a balance between engaging storytelling and thematic depth. The exploration of Melissa Moore’s emotional journey is commendable, but the lack of focus on the real victims of the Happy Face Killer leaves the series feeling incomplete and lacking in emotional depth.