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Maddie's Secret

Play trailer 1:48 Poster for Maddie's Secret Now Playing 1h 38m Comedy Drama Play Trailer Watchlist
Watchlist Tomatometer Popcornmeter
86% Tomatometer 63 Reviews Popcornmeter Fewer than 50 Ratings
MADDIE'S SECRET is comedian, writer, and actor John Early's critically acclaimed directorial debut starring himself as Maddie, a plucky dishwasher who leaps to viral superstardom at a trendy food content creation company. While her life seems picturesque -- complete with an adoring husband (Eric Rahill), ride-or-die best friend (Kate Berlant) and a cupboard full of woman-owned ethically-sourced chili crisp to boot -- mounting professional pressures threaten to reawaken a hidden secret from her troubled past. A pitch-perfect blend of satire, melodrama, daring tonal shifts and intimate performances, the film marks a bold new voice in contemporary cinema.

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Maddie's Secret

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Critics Consensus

Equal parts exuberant crowd-pleaser and intimate passion project, Maddie's Secret embraces melodrama without irony, finding emotional depth in its vibrant style and unwavering commitment to its singular vision.

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Critics Reviews

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Richard Whittaker Austin Chronicle 2d
0/5
Instead of his seeming intention to create something that’s both funny and yet very demure, very mindful, [Early]’s churned out a barely-congealed dish that’s the thinnest of gruel. Go to Full Review
Joshua Rothkopf Los Angeles Times Jun 27
When we’re just focused on Early, hoping to outrun Maddie’s demons in manic aerobics sessions of deliriously complex choreography, the movie feels like a spell. Go to Full Review
Joey Shapiro Chicago Reader Jun 26
Maddie’s Secret is genuinely touching, largely because it engages very earnestly with melodrama as a genre—like Douglas Sirk–level earnestness—instead of approaching it as parody. Go to Full Review
Rachel Wagner Rachel's Reviews (YouTube) 1d
I didn't get it. I just thought it was weird especially for a drama Go to Full Review
Alex Bentley CultureMap 2d
The film is clearly made with intention, giving a slight send-up of both 21st century food culture and a loving homage to the cheesy TV movies of the past. Go to Full Review
Zach Youngs InSession Film 2d
A
Maddie’s Secret is a wonder of a film that is wholly unique in its execution. Go to Full Review
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Audience Reviews

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Eric 12h As several reviewers said, you have to suspend disbelief that the lead actor is not a woman. I think that took away from it. But it has good elements to it and overall is worth watching. See more CRS 1d Interesting movie but not sure why the lead female role was played by a man? It’s fine, but I thought maybe the ending would reveal some sort of reason for it… because it seemed intentional to me. (Or maybe the actor just happens to be transgender? But, again, it felt like that role was very intentional.) So in that sense, the ending didn’t match my expectations and was a little underwhelming. I just thought there’d be some point to it. Maybe there is, but I’m just missing it. (I’m writing this before doing any research on the film - I had no expectations going into it.) The lead character was charming and it was overall an entertaining movie and believable. See more LeeLeap 3d Incredible. Unique. Hilarious. Touching. A gem of a film in an ocean of unremarkable movies. See more John M @JMthe2nd 2d This movie totally escaped me. John Early had two choices when deciding to play a woman. 1-make her a total believable and relatable sympathetic character or 2-make her an overblown satirical and over the top character. Unfortunately his portrayal falls somewhere in the middle and lands like a ton of bricks. Not funny, not interesting and utterly confusing to watch. I did not believe for a second he wasn't a man playing a woman. What I couldn't figure out was why was he doing it??? The whole movie plays like an elongated SNL skit that doesn't quite hit the mark. Had he abandoned the idea of himself playing Maddie and purely went for the skewering of internet influencers and the overly melodramatic movies of the 80's the end result would have been much more successful. Is it a comedy? Is it a drama? Is it a satire? In it's current form it's a big basket of none-of-the-above. See more Martin C 5d Spoiler alert, secret is eating disorder. Self centered women with clueless husband and utterly fantastical career lives See more Katharine C @RT20433766 6d I adore John Early but can't recommend this, sadly. Tonally all over the place and not funny when it tries to be. I have faith in his next film, though! See more Read all reviews
Maddie's Secret

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Movie Info

Synopsis MADDIE'S SECRET is comedian, writer, and actor John Early's critically acclaimed directorial debut starring himself as Maddie, a plucky dishwasher who leaps to viral superstardom at a trendy food content creation company. While her life seems picturesque -- complete with an adoring husband (Eric Rahill), ride-or-die best friend (Kate Berlant) and a cupboard full of woman-owned ethically-sourced chili crisp to boot -- mounting professional pressures threaten to reawaken a hidden secret from her troubled past. A pitch-perfect blend of satire, melodrama, daring tonal shifts and intimate performances, the film marks a bold new voice in contemporary cinema.
Director
John Early
Producer
Harris Mayersohn, John Early, Luca Intili, Luca Intili
Screenwriter
John Early
Distributor
Magnolia Pictures
Production Co
Dogma 3000, Unapologetic Projects, Dweck Productions, Whetstone Pictures, Radish Films
Genre
Comedy, Drama
Original Language
English
Release Date (Theaters)
Jun 19, 2026, Limited
Runtime
1h 38m