Happy Valley

Play trailer

Happy Valley

2014

1h 38m

Documentary

Drama

Play Trailer

Watchlist

Watchlist

Tomatometer

Popcornmeter

89%

Tomatometer

35 Reviews

70%

Popcornmeter

1,000+ Ratings

In 2011, longtime Penn State assistant football coach Jerry Sandusky is charged with multiple counts of child sex abuse, rocking the small town of State College, Pa.

Watch on Fandango at Home

Stream Now

Critics Consensus

Sober, even-handed, and quietly devastating, Happy Valley illuminates the wreckage of a tragedy while leaving viewers room to draw their own conclusions.

Read Critics Reviews

David Lewis

San Francisco Chronicle

12/04/2014

3/4

It's not a groundbreaking thesis, but we still get a fascinating tour of a town that may never be the same again.

Go to Full Review

Michael Phillips

Chicago Tribune

11/27/2014

3.5/4

The film could've benefited from another 15 or 20 minutes of detail and nuance. What's there, though, is strong, thoughtful and disturbing.

Go to Full Review

David Edelstein

New York Magazine/Vulture

11/21/2014

Here it is, folks, in your face. Will you look or return to your own private Happy Valley?

Go to Full Review

Bob Strauss

Los Angeles Daily News

02/03/2015

Bar-Lev's cameras prowl the streets of State College, Penn. to not only expose the details of the crimes, but uncover a hero-worshiping, sometimes ferociously self-justifying, culture.

Go to Full Review

Todd Jorgenson

Cinemalogue

12/31/2014

... manages to craft a mostly even-handed examination of hero worship, football fanaticism and the power of conviction in the court of public opinion.

Go to Full Review

Shawn Hazelett

Under the Radar

12/16/2014

6/10

Happy Valley ... is less interested in assigning blame than using the scandal as a template to explore mob mentality and the perils of idol worship.

Go to Full Review

Read all reviews

Stephen C

@bob25009 Jul 8

Real footage in 1 hour and 38 minutes!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! The USA grossed over $22,700.00!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

See more

03/11/2017

not bad. was actually expecting a deeper insight into Sandusky's background to be honest. instead it focuses mostly on the whole Joe Paterno - Penn State Univ. fiasco.

See more

09/04/2016

**** Good Jerry Sandusky's unspeakable acts sent shockwaves in the Penn State campus. Jerry Sandusky is no longer part of society, and that is a very good thing, because his disgusting acts preyed upon young children is as horrific as it gets. Amir Bar-Lev's documentary "Happy Valley" focuses on how the Sandusky crimes impacted the Penn State campus and its "happy valley" society. Sandusky was a former Penn State football assistant coach who opened up a camp for disadvantaged children. Penn State society thought the world of Jerry, which included his boss the infamous Joe Paterno. Then when Sandusky's child molestation charges came into the limelight- a whirlwind of controversy, divisiveness, and shame soon followed to the campus and its city. Paterno was in the middle of the controversy as he was a central figure blamed for not reporting when he was aware of Sandusky's acts. By no means "Happy Valley" is an easy watch, but an important watch no doubt on how one man's despicable acts could have profound impact on first the victims, but also on an entire society; Bar-Lev excels in bringing that to the forefront. "Happy Valley" will in no means make you happy, but it is recommended for its societal focus at how one man's crime impacts an entire community & university.

See more

08/14/2016

Interesting take on the whole situation. There are no winners.

See more

04/25/2016

This will always be a cloud that hangs over State College.

See more

03/08/2016

Informative, but not very interesting. People go too far when looking for blame.

See more

Read all reviews

Read More

Read Less

WRITE A REVIEW

EDIT REVIEW

POST RATING

Amir Bar-Lev

Director

Joe Posnanski

Actor

Amir Bar-Lev

Writer

Molly Thompson

Executive Producer

Robert DeBitetto

Executive Producer

David McKillop

Executive Producer

The Seventh Fire

92%

54%

The Seventh Fire

Watchlist

TRAILER

for The Seventh Fire

The Overnighters

97%

85%

The Overnighters

Watchlist

For the Birds

93%

88%

For the Birds

Watchlist

TRAILER

for For the Birds

Call Me Kuchu

98%

88%

Call Me Kuchu

Watchlist

Best Kept Secret

100%

92%

Best Kept Secret

Watchlist

Discover more movies and TV shows.

View More

View more photos

Synopsis

In 2011, longtime Penn State assistant football coach Jerry Sandusky is charged with multiple counts of child sex abuse, rocking the small town of State College, Pa.

Director: Amir Bar-Lev
Producer: Jonathan Koch, Steven Michaels, John Battsek, Ken Dornstein
Screenwriter: Amir Bar-Lev
Distributor: Music Box Films
Production Co: Passion Pictures, Asylum Entertainment, A&E IndieFilms
Genre: Documentary, Drama
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Nov 19, 2014, Limited
Release Date (Streaming): Sep 7, 2015
Box Office (Gross USA): $22.7K
Runtime: 1h 38m