Happy Face Murders (1999)

Happy Face Murders Poster

An eccentric older woman implicates her brutal & controlling lover in the murder of a young retarded girl. Absorbed with "Murder She Wrote" and "Matlock", she creates details of the murder from clues she picks up from the detectives on the case. Implicating herself and sentenced to jail, she then recants her testimony. But no one believes her until clues surface from the real killer that he is still out there, has killed before, and will kill again. He signs his messages with Happy Faces.

Summary
"Happy Face Murders" is a 1999 made-for-television crime-drama-thriller, directed by Brian Trenchard-Smith and produced by Showtime Networks. The movie, motivated by real-life murder cases, was constructed around a notorious serial killer described as 'Happy Face Killer' due to his routine of drawing smiley faces in his letters to the media and prosecution groups.

The Plot
The story is centered around the character Jennie (Marg Helgenberger), an emotionally wild woman stuck in a violent relationship with her boyfriend, Billy (Mitchell Kosterman). In an effort to safeguard her child, Deana (Emily Hampshire)-- a teenager with a facial defect-- Jennie decides to frame Billy for a murder he did not commit.

Figured out to make her plan work, Jennie goes to terrific lengths and takes advantage of Loreen Hobbs (Ann-Margret), a mousy lady whose child was brutally killed. Jennie encourages Loreen that Billy was the one who eliminated her child, carefully planting evidence to guarantee he gets founded guilty.

Meanwhile, real-life detective Stu Hagman (Henry Thomas) is assigned to the case. As he digs much deeper into the case, something doesn't build up, leading him to question the narratives provided to him.

The Twisted Events
Jennie's strategy to control circumstances spirals out of control as her daughter Deana starts a dangerous relationship with her partner's brother, Dylan (Greg Bryk). As turbulence in the family escalates, Jennie's carefully built lies start to decipher. The manipulation, lies, and deceit catch up to her, resulting in a circumstance much even worse than what she was at first trying to leave from.

Their lives end up being a lot more made complex when Stu Hagman starts suspecting Jennie and Loreen as he continues pursuing the reality. Jennie gets captured in a web of her own making, and Loreen is unconsciously ending up being an accomplice in the lie, all due to their manipulative strategies.

Ending & Aftermath
The climax showcases the effects of Jennie's actions. In an explosive confrontation, Jennie comes face to face with the reality she has actually been avoiding, admitting the deeds she had actually undertaken. In the end, she learns the awful fact that lies always find a method to surface area in spite of efforts to conceal them.

Conclusion
"Happy Face Murders" is an extreme mental thriller that supplies a haunting showcase of adjustment, untruths, obsession, and the lengths one goes to protect loved ones. The movie possesses a significant story highlighting the catastrophic effects that can happen when deceit and treachery end up being a means to secure justice. Beyond doubt, the movie leaves the viewers with the thought-provoking message about the terrible cycle of lies and the inevitable fall it causes.

Top Cast

  • Ann-Margret (small)
    Ann-Margret
    Lorraine Petrovich
  • Marg Helgenberger (small)
    Marg Helgenberger
    Jen Powell
  • Henry Thomas (small)
    Henry Thomas
    Dylan McCarthy
  • Nicholas Campbell (small)
    Nicholas Campbell
    Rusty Zuvic
  • Rick Peters (small)
    Rick Peters
    Billy Lee Peterson
  • David McIlwraith (small)
    David McIlwraith
    Alan Sanford
  • Bruce Gray (small)
    Bruce Gray
    Ephraim Quince
  • J. C. MacKenzie (small)
    J. C. MacKenzie
    Ed Baker
  • Emily Hampshire (small)
    Emily Hampshire
    Tracy Billings
  • Anthony J. Mifsud (small)
    Anthony J. Mifsud
    Gary Martin
  • Christina Collins
    Nancy Severn