Release: Mr. Happy

 

Mr. Happy

Genre: Drama/Thriller

Director: Hiro Murai

Writer: Wyatt Allen

Based on the short film

Cast: Jesse Plemons, Adele Exarchopoulos, Rob Riggle, Nonso Anozie

Budget: $18,000,000

Domestic Box Office: $21,404,095

Foreign Box Office: $18,902,234

Total Profit: $2,094,007

Reaction: While Mr. Happy didn't end up too far in the black, earning a small profit, this one turned out a bit better at the box office than last season's collaboration between star Jesse Plemons and writer Wyatt Allen, The Life Survey, which lost money. 

"Mr. Happy is a slow-burn thriller (sort of) that does a good job of lulling the audience into a false sense of optimism before yanking the rug out. Jesse Plemons delivers one of his usual fantastic performances, nailing the role of an everyman just a bit off. Not everything in the film works, but it does more than it doesn't." - Dave Manning, Ridgefield Press

"A dark psychological comedy that will have even you look over your shoulder. Mr. Happy is a poignant look at mental health, the fragility of human connections, and the tragic irony that sometimes people find what they're looking for when its almost too late. The only down I can give is Victoria seems to give away too much by the end, thus reducing the impact of the big twist. Overall, I liked what I saw." - Dexter Quinn - Cinematic Observer

"Mr. Happy feels like yet another exploration of millennial ennui that mistakes narrative misdirection for profound commentary on modern isolation. While Jesse Plemons brings his trademark blank-faced brooding to the lead role, the script's ham-fisted metaphors about online dating and workplace alienation didn't work for me. The film's attempt to merge rom-com elements with darker thriller undertones was tonally jarring. Murai's direction, while occasionally striking in its composition of empty spaces, relies far too heavily on predictable "is-he-being-followed" shots. The final reveal, while competently executed by Adele Exarchopoulos, does not stick the landing, proving once again that twist endings are no substitute for genuine character development." - Ted Milo, Montasefilm 

Rated R for violence, language, and thematic elements