Family ties are often full of surprises, but some discoveries are downright shocking. Imagine sitting at a dinner table or scrolling through an intriguing website, which makes you realize that someone you never knew is actually closer in relation than you ever imagined.

Netflix’s Found explores these jaw-dropping moments, following people as they uncover long-lost connections. In an interview, the documentary’s subjects shared the details of their encounters, revealing stories that were equal parts startling and endearing. 

They recounted everything from the awkward introductions to the surprising meet ups that made their ties unforgettable.

Netflix’s Found follows Chloe, Lily, and Sadie, three young women adopted from China who grew up in very different American communities. Chloe and Sadie first discovered they were second or third cousins through 23andMe, they divulged while speaking to Gold House’s Lisa Ling. Their parents coordinated the initial meeting that led to Chloe visiting Sadie in Nashville, according to the interview.

Later, Lily joined the discovery during her senior year of high school when Sadie reached out to her on 23andMe, saying they were cousins. Hilariously, she was very accepting of the fact. 23andMe, for those unversed, is a service that analyzes one’s DNA to show ancestry and help find relatives one never thought they had.

Found, the 2021 Netflix effort, forming the basis of the Gold House interview, follows the girls as they travel to China to visit the towns where they were born in and the orphanages where they spent their early days. They meet those who cared for them and retrace the steps of their early lives. 

While they do not find their birth parents, the journey gives them a deeper understanding of their heritage, helping them connect and make sense of their real identities. The documentary also explores the implications of the Asian country’s now-defunct one-child policy.

Is ‘Found’ on Netflix Based on Real Life? The True Story Behind Heartbreaking Chinese Girls’ Story

China allowed only one child per family between 1979 and 2015, and families often chose male children over females during that period, a fact that added profound emotional depth to Netflix's Found.

The documentary shows how China’s one-child policy led many families to place daughters in orphanages, often because they wanted a son. Having a second child after a girl could bring heavy fines, so some families abandoned their daughters in hopes of having a boy. Many of these girls were later adopted abroad, including the girls in Found, who eventually discovered and reconnected with each other years later.

Found is more than a story about DNA and family trees; it is a heartfelt exploration of the unexpected ways lives can intersect. By following Chloe, Lily, and Sadie on their emotional journey back to China and through the threads of their shared past, the documentary captures the resilience of the human spirit and the enduring power of family. It stands out as one of the best in Netflix’s expansive trove of documentaries, offering moments that linger long after the credits roll.

What Netflix Would Own if the Warner Bros. Acquisition Becomes Reality

What do you think about the discoveries the Found subjects made about each other? Let us know in the comments.