By
Rating:
Director:
Starring: | | | |

Maddie's Secret

Year: 2026

Running time: 98

IMDB: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt37675037/

Eliza says: “From the beginning, I wasn’t sure what the audience was supposed to feel. I first thought it was solely a think-piece on gender. A sort of glimpse into life if one’s gender identity simply wasn’t questioned by others, and was accepted at face value. If people could just be in relationships without gender being a second thought. The heady laughter from the audience, at first, was uncomfortable for me. I felt very..defensive, almost? for Maddie. In regards to audience response to her. I suppose it would make sense that in retrospect, that was probably the point. I kept thinking ‘why are they laughing at her? Do they know something I don’t? We aren’t far enough in the movie to tell what is funny yet.’

“My discomfort probably partially stems from being AFAB and identifying as female as an adult. I don’t have personal experience with questioning identity in this way, but I have so much empathy for those who do. I guess part of the ‘comedy’ is supposed to be that we think her secret is to do with her assigned gender at birth, but it’s really nothing to do with that. And maybe shame on the audience for the assumption.

“The film definitely had some dark turns, with some oddly fun cameos. I’m not sure what the takeaway was supposed to be, other than that I know I’m probably wrong about it. (And I don’t mean that in a bitter way.. I mean it in the way of ‘there are things I have yet to learn’.) Learning the main actor/director identifies as male in real life, and this was more like a performance in drag, I felt less defensive for Maddie and the audience laughter. Which also made me question if that was the right call. (my own quickness to feel more at ease by a drag performance, than the idea that the movie was poking fun at being trans).

“This movie made me think, and will continue to make me think. I’m glad it allowed for introspection that I might not have had the same opportunity for, otherwise.

“3/5 cats”

 

Michael says: “One of the boldest and unique films I have seen in quite a while, John Early writes, directs, and stars in a story about a truly lovely woman who harbors a shameful secret. Part satire, part melodrama, Early somehow succeeds in marrying conflicting tones, partially due to the sincerity of the emotional beats. It took a bit to sink into the rhythm of the film, but once I did, I thoroughly enjoyed it, and Early’s work as both actor and director was top notch.

“At first it’s hard to pin down just what this film is trying to do. It’s partly a satire on content creators, a critical statement on body image, a buddy comedy, before the title-reference secrete start to rear it’s ugly head. Early plays Maddie, an angelic, do-no-wrong woman who works as a dishwasher, with her lesbian buddy Deena, on a streaming cooking show, where the hostess, the haughty Emily, consistently puts Maddie down for her good nature and budding cooking talent. When the stars align for Maddie, and she gets the chance to cook before the camera, Emily’s ire increases, Maddie gets a whole pack of queer friends at Deena’s dance/movement class, and that afore-mentioned secret begins to come to light, threatening everything Maddie seeks to attain.
“Early was interviewed after the film by legendary director Andre Gregory (who recently directed Early on stage in Wallace Shawn’s play, ‘What We Did Before Our Moth Day’) and that was very helpful to put the film and it’s conflicting tones into context for me. Originally, Early wanted to just make a fun, rebellious, transgressive movie with a bunch of his friends, but as the writing evolved, and in his performance as Maddie, more and more emotions, and sadness started creeping into the film. And it’s all so authentic and beautiful, then end result somehow works. It’s really a marvelous accomplishment. 4 1/2 cats
 
“Screened on June 11, at the Art House
“Provincetown International Film Festival”

 

 

 

Maddie’s Secret

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *