Buried Secrets

Buried Secrets

Year: 1996

Runtime: 86 mins

Language: English

Director: Michael Toshiyuki Uno

MysteryDrama

Two souls share one body, and darkness holds secrets. After moving with her mother to the mother's hometown, a young woman is tormented by the restless spirit of a dead teenager. As the ghost's presence intensifies, fear and mystery intertwine, forcing her to confront a past that refuses to stay buried.

Warning: spoilers below!

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Timeline & Setting – Buried Secrets (1996)

Explore the full timeline and setting of Buried Secrets (1996). Follow every major event in chronological order and see how the environment shapes the story, characters, and dramatic tension.

Time period

Location

Clay Roff's Hometown, The Roff House

The story unfolds in Laura Vellum's hometown, where her old school classmate Clay Roff still lives. Annalisse and Laura move into Clay's house, and the town's secrets begin surfacing as Mary’s disappearance casts a shadow over everyone. A cliff near the residence and the house itself anchor the haunting and the investigation, giving the setting a palpable sense of history and danger.

🏡 Small-town 🗝️ Secrets 🌄 Cliffside setting

Last Updated: October 04, 2025 at 15:58

Main Characters – Buried Secrets (1996)

Meet the key characters of Buried Secrets (1996), with detailed profiles, motivations, and roles in the plot. Understand their emotional journeys and what they reveal about the film’s deeper themes.

Annalisse Vellum (Tiffani Thiessen)

A young woman who returns home with her mother and finds herself haunted by visions of Mary. She pursues the truth about Mary's disappearance, despite being suspected of having a mental disorder by her own family. Resourceful and stubborn, she navigates fear and suspicion to uncover a deadly conspiracy.

🧭 Curious 🧠 Determined 👻 Haunted

Laura Vellum (Melinda Culea)

Annalisse's mother, who moves back to her hometown and becomes entangled in the town's secrets. She is protective of her daughter and initially wary of Annalisse's claims, but grows involved in uncovering Danielle's past. Her loyalty to her daughter drives her to seek the truth, even as she faces social pressure.

💪 Protective 🧠 Skeptical 🕊️ Caring

Mary Roff (Erika Flores)

The young woman whose disappearance haunts the living; her spirit manipulates events from beyond, pushing Annalisse toward the truth. Her presence drives the investigation and her eventual rest marks the emotional climax of the story. Her fate is central to the vengeance that unfolds in the narrative.

👻 Ghost 🌙 Tragic 🕊️ Restless

Clay Roff (Tim Matheson)

Owner of the house the women rent, and a man with a dangerous past. He carries guilt from past actions and has had an affair with Danielle; he ultimately discovers the full extent of Danielle's crimes and contemplates the consequences of his own role. His actions and secrets contribute to the town's layered tragedy, culminating in his suicide after the truth comes to light.

🕵️‍♂️ Secretive ⚖️ Guilty 💔 Complex

Danielle Roff (Kelly Rutherford)

Clay's wife and the antagonist who manipulates those around her. She isolates and drugging Mary to maintain control, murders Ann, and schemes to marry Clay amid pregnancy. Her scheming and brutality drive the central conflict and the sisters' ultimate confrontation with the truth.

💎 Manipulative 💔 Dangerous 🗝️ Deceptive

Johnny Toussard (Channon Roe)

A local man who becomes a focal point of Annalisse's romantic interest, which enrages Mary’s spirit. His presence intensifies the tension around the past and present, contributing to the danger surrounding Annalisse and the broader mystery.

❤️ Forbidden 🗡️ Dangerous 🌪️ Troubled

Last Updated: October 04, 2025 at 15:58

Major Themes – Buried Secrets (1996)

Explore the central themes of Buried Secrets (1996), from psychological, social, and emotional dimensions to philosophical messages. Understand what the film is really saying beneath the surface.

👻 Hauntings

Mary's spirit haunts Annalisse after the disappearance, turning nightmare into evidence. Annalisse is possessed to confront Johnny and reveal Danielle's role. The haunting blurs the line between the supernatural and the real, pushing the characters to acknowledge the truth behind Mary's death. The culmination resolves the haunting when justice uncovers the murder and Mary's spirit finds rest.

🔎 Secrets

The town and its families carry dark secrets, including Danielle's manipulation of Mary and the murder of Ann. Annalisse's investigation uncovers the web of lies surrounding Clay, Danielle, and Mary’s fate. As the pieces come together, the past is forced into the light, altering relationships and loyalties. The truth restores balance by revealing who was truly responsible.

⚖️ Justice

The narrative moves toward closure as Danielle's crimes are laid bare and Clay's hidden past is exposed. Mary's possession helps expose the truth about Ann's murder and Danielle's culpability. The resolution leads to Danielle's death and Mary's spirit finding peace, freeing Annalisse from fear and enabling a fresh start with Johnny.

Last Updated: October 04, 2025 at 15:58

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Haunting Mysteries Like Buried Secrets

Solving a ghost's unfinished business leads to shocking, tragic revelations.If you enjoyed the investigative plot and supernatural elements of Buried Secrets, you'll find similar movies here. These haunting mystery thrillers and TV movies feature characters uncovering tragic pasts, exploring themes of grief, loss, and family secrets in a tense, emotionally heavy atmosphere.

hauntinginvestigativemelancholicunsettlingsuspensefultragic

Narrative Summary

The narrative pattern involves a protagonist—often an outsider or someone with a personal connection—being drawn into a mystery by supernatural phenomena. The investigation is linear and steady, revealing clues that build toward a climax where long-buried truths about death, guilt, or betrayal are exposed.

Why These Movies?

These films are grouped by their central 'investigation of a haunting' plot structure, a melancholic mood driven by themes of loss, and a consistently tense, unsettling atmosphere. They share a focus on psychological unease and the emotional fallout of confronting a tragic past.

Anxious Supernatural Thrillers Like Buried Secrets

A steadily mounting sense of supernatural terror in a claustrophobic setting.Fans of the anxious, oppressive atmosphere in Buried Secrets will appreciate these movies. This collection features tense supernatural thrillers and dramas with a steady pace, high emotional intensity, and a focus on psychological torment and unsettling, haunting moods in confined settings.

oppressiveanxiouspsychologicalunsettlingsuspensefulclaustrophobichaunting

Narrative Summary

Stories focus on a character's psychological deterioration as they are trapped—physically or socially—in a setting where a supernatural force torments them. The narrative steadily tightens the screws, escalating from unease to full-blown terror, forcing a confrontation with a dark truth that is deeply personal.

Why These Movies?

These movies share a specific atmospheric cocktail: a high-intensity, tense tone; a steady, deliberate pacing that builds dread; and a heavy emotional weight centered on psychological unease. The experience is defined by feelings of being haunted, oppressed, and anxious.

Unlock the Full Story of Buried Secrets

Don't stop at just watching — explore Buried Secrets in full detail. From the complete plot summary and scene-by-scene timeline to character breakdowns, thematic analysis, and a deep dive into the ending — every page helps you truly understand what Buried Secrets is all about. Plus, discover what's next after the movie.

Buried Secrets Summary

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Buried Secrets Summary

Buried Secrets Timeline

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Buried Secrets Timeline

Buried Secrets Spoiler-Free Summary

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Buried Secrets Spoiler-Free Summary

More About Buried Secrets

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