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MADDIE’S SECRET MOVIE REVIEW
Leave it to John Early to make a melodramatic film that feels like a cross between Showgirls and a John Waters movie that can still produce oddly poignant moments. Written, directed, and starring Early, Maddie’s Secret tells the story of Maddie Ralph and her rise to stardom from humble dishwasher for a cooking influencer to the next big internet chef. Aided by her best co-worker friend, Deena (played by the hysterical Kate Berlant), and her ever encouraging husband Jake (Eric Rahill), Maddie becomes a viral sensation over one her recipes which gives her the opportunity to take over for the current host Emily (Claudia O’Doherty). As the pressure rises from her producer Zach (Conner O’Malley), Maddie starts to crack and thus the audience discovers her secret which is that she’s recovering from an eating disorder. The revelation isn’t necessarily played for laughs, but more so the situation she finds herself in with a cast of the kookiest characters surrounding her. You can tell that Early has been deeply inspired by a variety of films and media from melodramatic Lifetime movies to even Giallo films. How the film unfolds is unexpected and full of heart, but the movie is still incredibly funny throughout. Listen as Shira and Wright discuss the feature film debut of John Early with Maddie’s Secret!
DIRECTED BY: John Early
STARRING: John Early, Kate Berlant, Eric Rahill, Kristen Johnston, Claudia O’Doherty, Conner O’Malley, Vanessa Bayer, Chris Bauer
YOUR REVIEWERS
Wright Sulek (The Other Boss, Trash in the Can, Digital Noise, Highly Suspect Reviews, One Man’s Trash, Screener Squad)
Wright hails from the northern suburbs of Dallas, Texas. His passion for filmmaking brought him to Austin to study and make movies. Since then he’s had his hand in acting, writing, and directing his own short films with numerous like-minded film geeks he’s met along his journey. His newest interest has brought him into the podcasting world. He co-hosted a few different movie related podcasts such as ‘And Now This’ and ‘The Match Cut’. He currently co-hosts with longtime friend, Eric Samaniego, where they talk shop about the grimiest, trashiest, lost gems of movies on their show, ‘Trash in the Can’. Wright also guests and hosts reviews on Screener Squad and Highly Suspect Reviews as well as co-hosts Digital Noise with Chris Cox. As of 2024, Wright has now been inducted into the Austin Film Critics Association as well as co-owns the One of Us network with Chris Cox.
Shira More (Necromancer, Highly Suspect Reviews, Screener Squad)
Shira grew up in Dallas, TX, and need only put her palm to the ground to sense the direction of a semi-annual sale. She knows a little about a lot of things: Mary Shelley, Survivor (yes it’s still on), Otome Isekai’s, Slavoj Zizek. Is she method acting a supporting character in a Hallmark Christmas movie or is she just extremely undiagnosed? We’ll never know. When Shira’s not campaigning for French Kiss (1995) to finally be on streaming, you’ll find her debating the charming and unsettling similarities between rom coms and horror movies with Bret Dorman on the Necromancer podcast.
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