Some of my favorite movies of all times are horror/thrillers based on the lives and crimes of real-life serial killers, and this for the simple reason that truth is often far more disturbing and petrifying than fiction. Of course, I didn't expect for "Happy Face Killer" to become a new favorite, although based on the factual case of Canadian American serial killer Keith Jesperson.
There are a number of reasons why "Happy Face Killer" isn't a very good, nor memorable film. For starters, it's a TV-production, meaning the murders and perversities are never as grimly or shockingly depicted as in the greatest masterpieces like, say, "Henry: Portrait of a Serial Killer" or "10, Rillington Place". Secondly, there's a large amount of error and inconsistencies in the script. I won't bother to list them all, but some of my fellow reviewers did.
And finally, it simply is rather dull and formulaic. Even though the tragic story of every victim of every real-life serial killer deserves to be told, some serial killers just aren't very interesting. The facts in the case of Keith Jesperson, or at least as told here in "Happy Face Killer", very much feels like serial-killing 101. The man had a traumatic childhood, he tortured small animals as a kid, he goes after prostitutes and lewd women, he records himself bragging about his crimes, he deliberately leaves clues and seeks media attention, etc. Even when the script doesn't exclusively revolve around Jesperson it's full of clichés, like the FBI woman with a personal vendetta, or the local sheriff who thinks he's Dirty Harry. David Arquette does his best, but he's not very convincing. I'll admit that his grimaces look reasonably psychotic, but most of the time you can't help seeing Deputy Dewey from "Scream". The actresses portraying his victims are beautiful and seem talented, but their roles are too brief.
I normally wouldn't rate this higher than 3 or 4, but I'm giving it one extra point for the eerie version of the famous song "Happy Together" by The Turtles. It's one of those songs I always considered to be a feel-good classic, but the version playing here - during the strangulation of a prostitute - is truly shivering.
