SummaryMelissa (Annaleigh Ashford) investigates whether a man on death row is innocent of the murder her father (Dennis Quaid) committed as the Happy Face Killer in the drama series inspired by the autobiography "Shattered Silence," written by Melissa Moore with M. Bridget Cook Moore and the Happy Face podcast.
Created By:Jennifer Cacicio
Happy Face
Season 1 Premiere:
Mar 20, 2025
Metascore
Mixed or Average
55
User score
Generally Favorable
6.1
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All Seasons
Top Cast
Metascore
Mixed or Average
55
33% Positive
5 Reviews
5 Reviews
60% Mixed
9 Reviews
9 Reviews
7% Negative
1 Review
1 Review
Mar 20, 2025
80
The performances of Ashford and Quaid, and the wry tone of Happy Face are what makes us want to keep watching.
Aug 28, 2025
70
Not everything works, but Happy Face is a largely intriguing and intense show. The suspense alone is enough to keep watching.
Mar 20, 2025
60
While the social commentary can get a little tone-deaf and the family drama a tad bit manufactured, the writing maintains momentum through eight hours of television in a way that a lot of bloated modern shows fail to do, setting up a second season in the last hour that may finally get all of these competing voices to sing in harmony.
Mar 17, 2025
58
The show pushes hard for the audience to feel a certain way but only effectively does so in a few scenes with honesty, like when Melissa and her brother (played by Philip Ettinger) confide in each other or during some of Elijah’s story. The rest of Happy Face is too dramatized and simply gets lost in an effort to stand out.
Mar 20, 2025
50
The central push-pull between Melissa and Keith. That dance is captivating. .... But the messiness of their relationship sits uneasily alongside the straightforward search for evidence to free Elijah, and can lose its grip when broadened from a two-hander to a broader ensemble. “Happy Face” intrigues, yet its form can’t quite sync up with its function.
Mar 21, 2025
40
The reason Happy Face marks the nadir of true-crime ghastliness is that it seems to realise that this is all a game – as Melissa embarks on some sleuthing of her own to try and find out whether or not her father killed a ninth girl (and whether, therefore, an innocent man is on death row), the show veers dangerously close to jauntiness.
Mar 18, 2025
30
Paramount+’s Happy Face vacillates between sanctimonious and hypocritical, lashing out at the exploitative tropes of true crime and then embodying the genre’s worst instincts, with nothing especially perceptive to offer as compensation. It’s a show that’s at least paying lip service to doing something interesting, but there are too many intellectual hurdles it can’t clear.
User score
Generally Favorable
6.1
59% Positive
10 Ratings
10 Ratings
18% Mixed
3 Ratings
3 Ratings
24% Negative
4 Ratings
4 Ratings
Oct 16, 2025
10
*Happy Face* is a smart and engaging true crime drama that shifts the genre’s focus, offering a unique perspective on the aftermath of crime rather than the crimes themselves. Annaleigh Ashford delivers a powerful, nuanced performance, showing incredible depth in her role. She’s matched by a strong turn from Quaid, whose portrayal is equally compelling. The show’s approach feels fresh and intelligent, offering both emotional and psychological complexity. It’s a thrilling watch, with plenty of twists and depth.
Mar 25, 2025
3
It's too comical. I think they may have been going for creepy, what with the serial killer element, but Quaid comes off goofy, and Ashford sounds like she's in a sitcom. "Meet my dad. He's crazy." I kept waiting for a laugh track. It takes away any weight or nuance at all.
Production Company:
- CBS Studios
- King Size Productions
- Piano and Scene
- Semi-Formal Productions
- iHeart Media
- iHeartPodcasts
Initial Release Date:Mar 20, 2025
Number of seasons:3 Seasons
Rating:TV-MA
Awards
UBCP/ACTRA Awards, Vancouver
• 1 Nomination
