Maddie’s Secret

NOT RATED
2026
1 HR, 38 min
AUG 21 → AUG 27

Details

NOT RATED

Released 2026, United States

Comedy, Drama

1 hour, 38 minutes

Magnolia Pictures

English

Starring

John Early
Kate berlant
Eric Rahill
Kristen Johnston

Director

John Early

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.

Film Stills

John Early in a scene from Maddie's Secret.

Kate Berlant and John Early in a scene from Maddie's Secret.

Full Cast

John Early Maddie Ralph

Kate berlant Deena

Eric Rahill Jake

Kristen Johnston Beverlee Ralph

Additional Credits

John Early Director

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Reviews

“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.”

Coleman Spilde

Salon.com

“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.”

Joey Shapiro

Chicago Reader

“Brimming with style and spirit up to the final scene, “Maddie’s Secret” is among the most daring movies I’ve seen this year. That it simultaneously guarantees a giddy good time is a minor miracle.”

Natalia Winkelman

New York Times

“Every aspect of Maddie’s Secret is indeed made with love, showing reverence for the stylistic flourishes that made TV movies so memorable.”

Jourdain Searles

The Hollywood Reporter

“It is an extremely accomplished debut and one of the boldest American movies I have seen in years.”

Sam Bodrojan

IndieWire