Dennis Quaid’s new Paramount+ crime series has debuted with a strong Rotten Tomatoes score from critics ahead of its premiere later this week.Quaid’s best performanceshave often been in movies,the actor getting significant praise for his roles in movies likeThe Big Easy,Traffic, andFar from Heaven. His latest movies include two releases from 2024, portraying US President Ronald Reagan in the aptly-titled biopicReagan, and TV show producerHarvey inThe Substance. His upcoming movies include the crime dramaSovereignand the sci-fi action filmWar Machine.
However,Quaid is no stranger to TV, having had various parts on the small screen since the beginning of his career. Some of his bigger roles have come in the last decade or so, starring as Sheriff Ralph Lamb in 2012’s period dramaVegas, and having a key role in Crackle’s 2015 auction house seriesThe Art of More. Recently, he was on thecast ofLawmen: Bass Reeves, a Paramount+ original, as Sherrill Lynn. But now, the seasoned actor has a new role in another streaming original already getting promising reviews.
Quaid Portrays A Real Serial Killer
The Paramount+ crime seriesHappy Facehas debuted with a high score from critics on Rotten Tomatoes.Based on the true crime podcast of the same name by Melissa Moore, the show follows Melissa (Annaleigh Ashford) as she’s contacted by her father, Keith Hunter Jesperson (Quaid), otherwise known as the Happy Face Killer. He confesses to an undiscovered victim that he gives her hints about, while she grapples with his past crimes coming back to haunt her. The show was created by Robert and Michelle King, best known for creatingThe Good Wifefranchise and thecanceled Paramount+ originalEvil.
10 Gritty TV Crime Dramas For Fans Of True Crime
While there are plenty of true crime shows currently streaming, there are also many traditional crime dramas that true crime fans will enjoy.
Now,Happy Facehas earned a fresh debut score onRotten Tomatoes,sitting at an 83% based on six reviews as of writing. The majority of reviews for the show are positive, with five fresh and one rotten. While there’s some criticism aimed at the series' presentation, most reviews are satisfied with how the mystery presents itself and unfolds over the course of its eight episodes. This praise for the show indicates some more positive reviews to come as the show draws closer to its premiere date.
What Happy Face’s Debut RT Score Means For The Show
Quaid’s New Series Might Be Another Paramount+ Success
Paramount+ original shows, as well as those on Paramount+ with Showtime, have had plenty of success in recent years, such asMayor of KingstownandThe Agency. However,Happy Faceaims to dramatize a story about the aftermath of real-world serial murders, meaning its presentation needs to be respectful of what actually transpired. With the show getting strong praise in some early reviews,Quaid’s new series could add another tally to the memorable roles he’s taken up in recent years.
