Maddie's Secret

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1:48

Maddie's Secret

Jun 2026

1h 38m

Comedy

Drama

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Tomatometer

Popcornmeter

86%

Tomatometer

84 Reviews

65%

Popcornmeter

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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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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Peter Rainer

FilmWeek (LAist)

Jul 29

It doesn't satirize any of this stuff, and that's what's ultimately special about it. And John Early is a terrific physical comic.

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Coleman Spilde

Salon.com

Jul 16

Like all great art does in one way or another, Maddie’s Secret leads with its heart to create something unexpected and necessary, finding the point where humor and tragedy graze each other in passing, making a home there.

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Kimber Myers

Crooked Marquee

Jul 11

B+

Maddie’s Secret is a perfectly pitched satire that targets both the Lifetime films of the ‘80s and ‘90s and contemporary influencer culture while simultaneously being an effective exercise in empathy for its heroine ...

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Erik Childress

Movie Madness Podcast

1d

1/4

Bottom line is that the film is not funny but as it tries to play upon its roots as an after-school special or Lifetime cautionary tale it asks us to take these situations with gravity leaving an ever more sour taste in its earlier attempts at mockery.

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Fletcher Powell

KMUW - Wichita Public Radio

3d

Early’s performance ... holds the film together, and it’s close to perfect.

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Sammie Purcell

Rough Draft Atlanta

Jul 29

...while I think you’d be forgiven for filing it away in the Lifetime parody bucket while watching its first few minutes, it quickly becomes apparent that "Maddie’s Secret" takes itself incredibly seriously, without a false note or wink at the camera.

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Anita M

Jul 9

I did not like watching a man playing a woman. I believe homosexuality is a sin. There was a lot of it in this movie. I did not like how the mother had a cross around her neck and she was portrayed as a villain.

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Eric

Jul 4

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.

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CRS

Jul 3

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.

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LeeLeap

Jul 1

Incredible. Unique. Hilarious. Touching. A gem of a film in an ocean of unremarkable movies.

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Marina D

@RT29815498 2h

Cute movie with lots of good representation, but plays too much on typical lesbian stereotypes. Deena staring at Maddie’s breasts and body all the time despite Deena being in a relationship perpetuates the ‘predatory lesbian’ stereotype, and don’t even get me started on the fact that Deena is ‘banging’ a married woman. AND the fact that in one scene, a girl dies in a mental hospital and Deena makes it completely about her and punches a wall in anger without reason, another ‘angry lesbian’ stereotype. What a stupidly made character, whoever decided that was going to be the direction of her character sucks. But anyways, Another issue I have is some of the acting. Some actors did well, while others acted as though they were…well, acting. Didn’t seem very natural at all.

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Beth T

@RT96446366 1d

I lasted 20 min. Awful writing. Awful acting. Dumb.

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John Early

Director

John Early

Maddie Ralph

Kip Reynolds

Juggler

Neil Wachs

Homeless Man

Kate Berlant

Deena

Claudia O'Doherty

Emily

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Maddie's Secret: Trailer 1

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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
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
Release Date (Streaming): Jul 31, 2026
Box Office (Gross USA): $1.2M
Runtime: 1h 38m

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