Maddie's Secret

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  • Trailer 1

Movie Info & Cast

Director:

John Early

Producer:

John Early, Luca Intili, Harris Mayersohn

Writer:

John Early

Release Date:

Jun 19, 2026

Runtime:

1hr 38m

Synopsis

A food influencer secretly struggles with bulimia as she navigates online fame, close friendships, and a painful past.

Cast

  • John Early
  • Kip Reynolds
  • Neil Wachs
  • Harris Mayersohn
  • Kate Berlant
  • Claudia O'Doherty
  • Gordon Landenberger
  • Conner O'Malley
  • Eric Rahill
  • Synmia Rosine
Moviegoers are saying
Audiences are hailing John Early's Maddie's Secret as a tender, very funny melodrama that never makes its heroine the punchline, with one reviewer calling it 'kind of a masterpiece.' The dance scene, the climactic confrontation with Maddie's mother, and Early's wig-wearing, diva-grade lead performance come up again and again. Viewers who call it 'parody' are pushing back, insisting the sincerity is real.
Top Mentions
Sincerely-Funny
Tear-Jerker
Melodrama-Royalty
Showstopper-Finale
Camp-With-Heart
Visually-Stunning
Summary generated from the text of Atom User reviews

Letterboxd User Reviews

3.7
57.8K
14.0K
22.7K
RATINGS 144 FANS
3.7
  • Jun 19, 2026

    A little Mexican, a little Filipino, a little…me :)

    2.4K Likes
    Blair MacMillan
    Blair MacMillan
    Jul 5, 2026

    Grill, Interrupted. Kind of a masterpiece! Floored by how well Early rides the line of sincerity and comedy without ever making Maddie the butt of the joke. In a worse director's hands, this could've been a disaster. Looks beautiful too! Kristen Johnson is terrific (and…

    2.1K Likes
    demi adejuyigbe
    demi adejuyigbe
    Sep 5, 2025

    None of this would work without Early’s profound love for women. He plays Maddie with the grace of a mid-century diva. He wears that blond wig like it’s real hair, with untamed flyaways and a style that’s fighting its natural part. There is a sense, when Maddie visits a…

    1.9K Likes
    Sam B.
    Sam B.
  •
    Jun 16, 2026

    every oscar in the world goes to… john early is the most beautiful woman in the world

    1.8K Likes
    sarah squirm
    sarah squirm
    Sep 4, 2025

    DO YOU HAVE A BACHELOR OF SCIENCE AMANDA

    1.6K Likes
    kgreens
    kgreens
    Jun 27, 2026

    "all the crazy things going on in graphic design right now..."

    1.2K Likes
    Drusilla Adeline
    Drusilla Adeline
  • Jun 21, 2026

    I try to never respond to other criticisms of a movie in my own, positive or negative, but I’m seeing a lot of folks write this off as a parody. I think that’s such a mischaracterization of what, to me, is a very funny but deeply sincere take on a movie-of-the-week. Pretty…

    1.1K Likes
    Brandon Streussnig
    Brandon Streussnig
    Jul 1, 2026

    I literally love Maddie like she is a lifelong personal friend of mine

    810 Likes
    Sam B.
    Sam B.
    Jun 17, 2026

    Todd Haynes… meets Lifetime… meets Tennessee Williams?! There were a couple moments when I was staring at the screen in awe, like one of those people at the end of Disclosure Day. 

    792 Likes
    Bobby Finger
    Bobby Finger

Queue Community Reviews

72%
Community 239
❤️ LOVE
24%
👍 LIKE
48%
😐 MEH
15%
👎 DISLIKE
13%
Top Reviews
  • Marco Graca
    Marco Graca loved
    Maddie's Secret

    What an oddball movie. Not an ounce of cynicism to be found, just people struggling to find love for their own image in one of the industries that attacks it the most. Maddie and her circle are both endearingly strong, passionate and very funny

    1M
    this girl
    this girl liked
    Maddie's Secret

    the film gets surprisingly deep and emotional, but also every ten minutes john early or kate berlant say or do the funniest things i’ve seen all year

    2M
    Gregory Mitchell
    Gregory Mitchell liked
    Maddie's Secret

    Could’ve been a parody, instead there was genuine emotion which made this work even if I was a little skeptical

    3M
  • Idk23
    Idk23 disliked
    Maddie's Secret

    I watched this it was marked as unwatched… FU Q ANYWAYS I DIDN’T LOVE IT

    1M
    Hanna Clark
    Hanna Clark disliked
    Maddie's Secret

    Just bc there were some funny parts 5.9/10

    2M
    Emdix
    Emdix liked
    Maddie's Secret

    🥭🍆

    3M

Atom Users Reviews

3.0
0
0
1
0
0
POPULAR TAGS
#lol

Reviews

  • NA
    Nabeel Arshad
    #lol
    #justokay
    #intense

Metacritic

74
metacritic
Based on 17 Critics
tbd

USER SCORE (0)

There are no user reviews yet
88
Jun 22, 2026

The film at once lampoons a spectatorship culture that drives creators to madness and cherishes the naïvete of everyday people who want to share their passions with people on the internet.

Metacritic review by Kyle Turner
Kyle Turner
Slant Magazine
75
Jun 19, 2026

Maddie’s Secret possesses a tenacious commitment to clichés and stylistic hyperbole, and while it is certainly a parody, it is undeniably delivered with reverence: an ode to the idolatry bestowed upon characters like Rory Gilmore.

Metacritic review by Peyton Robinson
Peyton Robinson
RogerEbert.com
83
Jun 18, 2026

Wickedly sharp and surprisingly moving, John Early’s Maddie’s Secret is a melodramatic comedy like few others.

Metacritic review by Monica Castillo
Monica Castillo
The A.V. Club

Frequently Asked Questions

How long is Maddie's Secret (2026)?
The movie is 1hr 38min long.
What's Maddie's Secret (2026) about?
A food influencer secretly struggles with bulimia as she navigates online fame, close friendships, and a painful past.
Who's the cast of Maddie's Secret (2026)?
  • John Early as Maddie Ralph
  • Kip Reynolds as Juggler
  • Neil Wachs as Homeless Man
  • Harris Mayersohn as Burger Boy
  • Kate Berlant as Deena
  • Claudia O'Doherty as Emily
  • Gordon Landenberger as Kyle
  • Conner O'Malley as Zach
  • Eric Rahill as Jake
  • Synmia Rosine as Gourmaybe Chef #1
Who's the director behind Maddie's Secret (2026)?
John Early directed Maddie's Secret (2026).
Who produced Maddie's Secret (2026)?
John Early, Luca Intili and Harris Mayersohn produced Maddie's Secret (2026).