A newer addition to the ‘Mysteries’ side of Hallmark, this one is more drama than anything, but it’s also something that would deserve more additions. FAMILY HISTORY MYSTERIES
Family History Mysteries: Buried Past (2023) Hallmark TV Film Review
Happy in her work and with family close, Sophie McClure (Janel Parrish) is good at what she does. She tracks down the people in her clients’ lives who are missing family or biological parents. Irony is, she’s unable to do it in her own life. Having been adopted by wonderful people whom she loves, she has a mystery in her own past. She’s still unable, even all this time after her mom’s death, to open the things she left for her. But all of that is forgotten when Sophie learns her best friend, Jonathan (Morgan David Jones) is again sick. This time he’s going to need a familial match for survival hope.
This sets Sophie on a path of tracking down Jonathan’s biological father, all with help of the one person she hasn’t seen in years, Jonathan’s brother, Jackson (Niall Matter).
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For anyone who doesn’t like the mysteries that involve death and investigation in the way of police, this would be an ideal watch for you. There’s more drama and mystery about finding someone vs. the cozy mysteries that are about solving a case. While I like several of the mysteries Hallmark is no longer producing, this one too is actually good. Though given that the ones I like don’t have longevity, I won’t hold my breath to see the sequel that this ends teasing.
The cast too is really good. My mother always likes Niall Matter’s films, and Janel continues to impress me in any of the films she headlines. This I say as someone who didn’t watch Pretty Little Liars, so see her in these was like “meeting” a new actor. Her first Christmas film with Hallmark, Holly & Ivy, is still one of my favorites. The supporting cast, particularly the story with Esme, and then Winston, too, make this more fun and just “complete” the story in a nice way.
All in all, this is a nice film to enjoy for one of those nights in. It’s not likely to receive more, at least not in the near future, but the story is enjoyable as is, even if it does make us wish to know what’s next.
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Content: one character refers to being “gay” so we assume they are, although there’s no reference outside of a recent break up. There isn’t even a kiss in this one (not that I can remember anyway) so this one really doesn’t abuse in any way its TV-PG rating. The film is a bit more “drama” just with the family complications and discussion of loss.
Photos: Hallmark Media / Crown Media Press