‘The Noel Diary’

FILMED AND SET IN CONNECTICUT, THE MOVIE IS STREAMING ON NETFLIX

More than a year after wrapping filming in Connecticut, “The Noel Diary” premiered on Netflix Nov. 24. The movie tells the story of a bestselling romance novelist (Justin Hartley) who returns to his hometown of Bridgeport, Conn., to clean out his mother’s estate. While there, he finds a diary that sends him on a collision course with someone from his past (Barrett Doss). What follows is a story that chronicles two characters each searching for belonging and reconciliation with their past.

Along the way, eagle-eyed Connecticut watchers will be able to spot local places like Madison’s RJ Julia Booksellers, which is where character Rachel Campbell buys her first book written by the protagonist, Jacob Turner; Essex’s Griswold Inn, which is turned into

“I THINK THE NEIGHBORHOODS AND THE FEELING OF FAMILY REALLY WORKED FOR THIS MOVIE.”

KC Bailey/Netflix/ Contributed photo Justin Hartley as Jake and Barrett Doss as Rachel in “The Noel Diary.”

Arnold Gold / Hearst Connecticut Media file photo Filming for the movie, “The Noel Diary,” takes place at the Griswold Inn Store in Essex on May 29, 2021.