Particle.news
Download on the App Store
3 ARTICLES
·
last wk.

John Early’s 'Maddie’s Secret' Draws Praise at TIFF, Seeks U.S. Distribution

Critics highlight a camp-inflected melodrama with a compassionate portrayal of bulimia.

Image
"Maddie's Secret" is John Early's feature directorial debut.

Overview

  • The film premiered in TIFF’s Discovery program to strong early reviews, including an A- from IndieWire and enthusiastic notices from Mashable.
  • Early makes his feature directing debut and stars as Maddie Ralph, a dishwasher at the food-content outfit Gourmaybe who becomes a viral on-camera chef.
  • Reviewers describe a deliberate riff on '90s made-for-TV melodramas that privileges sincerity over outright parody.
  • The story focuses on disordered eating and treatment, including an inpatient-clinic setting depicted with empathy rather than mockery.
  • The project is currently seeking U.S. distribution, with a wider release date yet to be announced.