Maddie’s Secret

😁 Maddie’s Secret, dir. John Early, 2025, USA, 98 min.
Thursday, June 25, 2026, 3:00 PM, Castro Theatre
🌉 Bay Area premiere
⚠️ Eating disorders, themes/discussions of self-harm and abuse

Maddie’s Secret
(photo: Danielle McCarthy-Boles)

Frameline blurb: Seamlessly blending comedy and melodrama, John Early (Stress Positions) stars as cis woman Maddie Ralph, a dishwasher at an L.A. content mill specializing in the snackable recipes that make the internet’s mouth water. When a personal video skyrockets her to viral fame, she is promoted to one of her company’s content creators and, with that fame, catches the eye of the producers of a hit television show (that closely resembles FX’s The Bear). But being within arm’s reach of her dream triggers her secret, long-dormant struggle with an eating disorder, and it threatens to sabotage the idyllic life that she worked so hard to build.

If John Waters casting Divine in Polyester showcased the gender roles of ‘50s melodramas for the campy absurdities they were, there is no mockery of women’s desire in John Early’s portrayal of Maddie. It begs the audience to reconsider its notions of gender and genre, and its comedy — backed by Vanessa Bayer, Conner O’Malley, Kate Berlant, Kristen Johnston, and more — is as full of love as it is moving.

My take: The tone of Maddie’s Secret seemed to shift back and forth between serious drama, light comedy, and campy melodrama. Many parts of the setup strained credulity, from the workplace dynamics of Gourmaybe to the audition process for The Boar, and some of the characters (especially the best friend, Deena, played by Kate Berlant) were not well fleshed out, hitting one or two notes. It was amusing, but felt like it could have been better with a clearer focus on its intentions. Highly recommended.

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