Shubhabrata Dutta
Helmed by Jason Bourque, Lifetime’s ‘Before Your Father Finds Us’ takes a faith-based route to the thriller genre. It follows Sophia and her daughter Emily, who have been living a peaceful life. What Emily doesn’t know is that Sophia had to testify against her abusive ex-husband, Mason, after which the mother-daughter duo was put in witness protection. Years pass, and one fine day, Sophia discovers that Mason, who is ex-military, has escaped prison. Realizing he will “return” to her and Emily, she tells her the truth about her father. As hurt as Emily is, the mother-daughter duo move to an isolated cabin in the woods and prepare themselves for Mason’s arrival by setting traps and taking extreme measures. The man eventually returns, testing Sophia’s faith while forcing her to take drastic steps to protect her child and herself and put an end to her fear once and for all. The visuals make use of real locations that serve as solitary backdrops to showcase isolation and fuel the thrill within the narrative.
Where was Before Your Father Finds Us Filmed?
‘Before Your Father Finds Us’ was filmed in British Columbia, specifically in Pitt Meadows-Maple Ridge. Principal photography reportedly began in the second half of June 2025 and continued for around two weeks before wrapping up by the first week of July the same year. During a YouTube interview with DeWayne Hamby, actress Alexa PenaVega spoke about how having faith contributed to her landing the role in the movie. “I was like Lord, I want something different, and this popped up…and I had such a good filming experience. A lot of crazy fight scenes, which I hadn’t done in years, but it was very fulfilling and very fun.”
Maple Ridge-Pitt Meadows, British Columbia
The crew utilized the scenic backdrops of Maple Ridge-Pitt Meadows, an electoral district in Metro Vancouver in southwestern British Columbia. The district comprises the cities of Maple Ridge and Pitt Meadows. Maple Ridge is known for its rustic charm, including the mountains, forests, and water bodies. This may have enabled the crew to film the scenes in the woods, showcasing nature as a symbol of a human’s survival instincts. However, urban neighborhoods also provide a rich contrast to the natural backdrop and, in all probability, were utilized to record indoor and outdoor scenes, as well as establishing shots. Popular visiting spots in the city include the North Beach Trail, Maple Ridge Park, Kanaka Creek Regional Park, Alouette Lake, and the ACT Arts Centre. Some other projects shot on location are ‘Reality Bites: A Hannah Swensen Mystery,’ ‘Signed, Sealed, Delivered: To the Moon and Back,’ and ‘The Wish Swap.’
Pitt Meadows gets its name from the Pitt River and Pitt Lake, two of its most well-known visiting spots. Akin to Maple Ridge, it is also known for its diverse natural landscapes. A significant portion of the city is certified forest area, so it is possible that some scenes set in the woods were taped in the wilderness areas of Pitt Meadows, too. The blend of contemporary and vintage architecture adds another layer to the aesthetic. If you are in the city, some places you can visit, besides the two we mentioned above, are Leghorn Ranch Horseback Trail, Pitt River Regional Greenway, Harris Road Park, and Meadow Gardens Golf Course. The Apple TV+ sports-comedy drama series ‘Stick‘ was filmed in Pitt Meadows.
Before Your Father Finds Us Cast Details
The cast of ‘Before Your Father Finds Us’ is led by the trio of Alexa PenaVega, Tahmoh Penikett, and Jaeda Lily Miller. Alexa, in addition to acting, is also a talented singer, dancer, and gymnast. Freshwater fishing is her primary hobby. She is also into social work and contributes to organizations supporting children and families. Tahmoh trained in Judo and Muay Thai as a kid and enjoys athletic activities, including competitive kickboxing. He is a family man and spends time with them whenever possible. Jaeda is also a model and influencer, a result of her fondness for fashion.
Alexa PenaVega as Sophia
Alexa PenaVega plays Sophia, the mother, in the movie. She is famous for playing Carmen Cortez in the ‘Spy Kids’ movies. Her other Lifetime project is ‘The Pregnancy Project,’ where she plays Gaby Rodriguez. Her notable TV movie performances include Allie Adams in the ‘Picture Perfect Mysteries’ collection, Camila in ‘Never Too Late to Celebrate,’ Anna Bowman in ‘A Paris Proposal,’ and Jenna in ‘Taking a Shot at Love.’ As far as TV shows are concerned, you can spot her as Hillary Cole in ‘The Tomorrow People,’ Kiley Brenner in ‘Nashville,’ and Gaby Powers in ‘The Power Couple.’ Some of her feature film roles are Gilda in ‘Sin City: A Dame to Kill For,’ KillJoy in ‘Machete Kills,’ Lacey in ‘Do You Believe?,’ and Dani in ‘Mr. Manhattan.’
Tahmoh Penikett as Mason
Tahmoh Penikett portrays Mason, Sophia’s husband. The role of Captain Karl “Helo” Agathon in ‘Battlestar Galactica’ brought him into the spotlight. A common face in TV series, his noteworthy performances include Paul Ballard in ‘Dollhouse,’ David Ramsey in ‘Taken,’ Goran in ‘Incorporated,’ and Duke Cagle in ‘Deep Six,’ His other Lifetime projects are ‘Circle of Deception,’ where he can be spotted as Jim Huden, and ‘The Killer Inside: The Ruth Finley Story,’ where he plays Ed Finley. Some well-known feature films he is a part of are ‘Man of Steel,’ ‘2 Hearts,’ ‘Sheltering Season,’ ‘Jonah,’ and ‘The Last Victim.’
Jaeda Lily Miller as Emily
Jaeda Lily Miller takes on the character of Emily in the movie. She is a Hallmark staple and is primarily known for the role of Allie Grant in Hallmark’s ‘When Calls the Heart.’ Her other roles for the network include Zoe in ‘Christmas in Evergreen,’ Lauren in ‘A Heavenly Christmas,’ Hayes McGuigan in ‘Operation Christmas,’ Emily in ‘Love Under the Stars,’ and Hayley in ‘The Christmas Secret.’ She can also be spotted as the younger version of Zoe Carmichael in ‘Midnight Sun’ and the younger version of Casey in ‘Tomorrowland.’
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