This (sort of) true-crime series about a real-life serial killer’s daughter is deeply disappointing TV – even before you factor in the terrible script and flat actingPerhaps, like politicians’ careers, all intellectual property must eventually end in failure. You begin in one medium – a viral video on social media, perhaps, which brings your story to the attention of the masses and the makers of a podcast; then on to a streamed drama or documentary, maybe knocking out a book on the subject as you go. But eventually it hits a wall. The new translation doesn’t work, it’s running on empty, it doesn’t capture interest, the moment has passed. People get bored, they move on, and that’s the end of your IP’s journey.The new true-crime drama Happy Face, created by Jennifer Cacicio and executive-produced by the mighty Robert and Michelle King (The Good Wife, The Good Fight, Evil, Elsbeth), began life as a book – Shattered Silence, the 2009 autobiography of Melissa Moore, in which sh...
The Paramount+ true-crime drama "Happy Face," based on the autobiography of serial killer Keith Hunter Jesperson's daughter, is a disappointing adaptation due to a terrible script, flat acting, and tonal inconsistencies. Dennis Quaid's portrayal of Jesperson is described as a grinning caricature, and Annaleigh Ashford's performance as the daughter is charisma-free. The series adds fictional elements, making it difficult to discern truth from fiction and diminishing viewer investment. The review also questions the ethics of exploiting the grief of victims' families.
