This is easily one of the hardest true crime documentaries to categorize. Is it even a true crime? Buried begins as one thing, ends up something else, and by the end we have a little bit of everything. There is some crime we know about. There are others we’re not so sure of. And then there’s the chance that there are even more mysteries surrounding this story.
Basically, 20 years after the murder of her best friend, a woman named Eileen Franklin claims she was there when it happened. Susan Nason, 8 at the time, was apparently molested, raped, and killed by Eileen’s father, George Franklin. All of this occurred in 1969 when events like this weren’t as easily believed by the average person. Eileen buried the horrific events and now she’s accusing her father of the unsolved murder of her friend.
But there’s a problem. Why did it take 20 years to come out? Are repressed memories real or does Eileen’s background point toward some fibbing? This documentary is a huge mystery in every way you can imagine.
What was good about Buried
I love the mystery. Give me all of the questions and wait to the end to reveal the answers and you have me hooked. I thought Buried did a superb job at not teasing the questions either. It was respectful of the audience and those involved.
The documentary is four hours long and it flies by. I couldn’t really differentiate each episode from one another. It’s not like Tiger King where episode one is background and episode two is a hit piece against Carole Baskin. Each episode of Buried blends together well. It’s almost unnoticeable going from one to another.
This gave me vibes of The Keepers and Monsters Inside: The 24 Faces of Billy Milligan. I have completely different opinions on those two documentaries. Buried falls somewhere in between. It’s a case study on the human mind, false memories, and why some people might choose to lie about their devious plots. All are covered in Buried.
What could have made Buried better
The one thing missing from this documentary are present day interviews. We don’t even get much coverage from Eileen or George after the trial. Most of the footage in this documentary is from the 1980s or early 1990s. I enjoyed seeing inside the courtroom. However, because of deaths of certain people and ones choosing to change their name and live a quieter life, we don’t hear much about what happened to everyone after the chaos.
It took Eileen 20 years to come forward after the alleged murder (the first one explored in this documentary, actually) and unfortunately we don’t learn about all of the events taking place much after. Similar cases are briefly touched on, but I think we could’ve used much more.
Is Buried worth watching?
Yes! Watch it. Whether you like a basic true crime story, psychological exploration, or want to view something different, Buried is a worthy watch.
Overall Score: 7 out of 10
Buried had a chance to be better. What it seemed to lack most was the singular moment which will have me thinking about this documentary until my dying breath. There were some moments described within which are haunting. The described death of Susan is traumatic, but with certain elements changing throughout Eileen’s story, I also have my doubts about what the truth is.
Practically Trouble 
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