This was a narrow released film (is that the opposite of a wide release? I’m simply too lazy to look it up); it was playing in exactly two theaters near me, both in Chicago. So, Page and I took the train out, walked twelve minutes in the sweltering Chicago heat to the red line (subway/L train) where we traded the hot sun bearing down on us for a cooler, piss-scented tunnel. The ride was unremarkable; vacationing families and commuters filled the car, along with the ever-present person yelling over speakerphone. There’s always one.
We arrived covered in sweat, and took our seats in a nearly empty theater, thankful for AC and reclining chairs.
We follow Maddie (John Early) and Deena (Kate Berlant), two dishwashers for a cooking content creation studio Gourmaybe, run by Zach (the always hilarious, always LOUD Conner O’Malley). One night on a whim, Maddie cooks up a vegetarian version of a smash burger, while her doting husband Jake (Eric Rahill) films, edits, and posts the video online. The video is an instant hit, and her seemingly angry boss decides to promote her to content creator. Despite some opposition from the current star Emily (Claudia O’Doherty), Maddie pushes forward and soon begins to outshine her opponent.
As the stress builds, and major TV productions want a piece of the Maddie pie, a childhood eating disorder begins to take over Maddie’s life as she spirals farther and farther out of control.
OLD LADY ALERT (AND mild SPOILERS)
After the film, an advanced-age woman approached Page and I. While the credits rolled, she asked us about a non-existent character. I shook my head and said, “There was no @&!%*. It was a lie” Mind you, dear reader, this was a central plot point and an obvious lie.
Later, while waiting for Page in the hallway, the same old lady came up to me, PAPER TICKET IN HAND (I didn’t know they still did that) and asked me, “Do you know where Superman is playing?” Lady, you’re a full calendar year too late for that one. I pointed her in the direction of an usher and she shuffled off.
This serves as a warning to you all. If any of you reading this make it to the River East AMC fifty years from now, I will be that old man, holding a paper ticket, looking for a movie that isn’t showing. When that happens, point me in the direction of the nearest auditorium and shuffle me inside. I’ll be happy to sit in front of anything.
(mild SPOILERS OVER)
This was a narrow released film; it was playing in exactly two theaters near me, both in Chicago. So, Page and I took the train out, walked twelve minutes in the sweltering Chicago heat to the red line (subway/L train) where we traded the hot sun bearing down on us for a cooler, piss-scented tunnel. The ride was unremarkable; vacationing families and commuters filled the car, along with the ever-present person yelling over speakerphone. There’s always one.
We arrived covered in sweat, and took our seats in a nearly empty theater, thankful for AC and reclining chairs.
I wasn’t sure what to expect coming into this; I’ve seen John Early’s episode of The Characters (Page and I rewatched it last night in preparation) as well as his and Kate Berlant’s special Would it Kill You to Laugh? I just know I wasn’t expecting to watch something so emotionally affecting as Maddie’s Secret.
One thing I knew I would get was Early’s intense dedication to his character. That’s one thing that struck me as I was watching The Characters last night; John Early is one of those actors that can truly inhabit the mind of his character, it becomes his new reality and playground. His performance as Maddie is striking, and you really feel for her during her trials and tribulations. Kate Berlant plays Deena in a sort of Brechtian way (yeah, breaking out the big, shiny film-nerd terms for this one), she’s the one character that knows she’s in a movie and creates a bit of distance for the audience.
Aside from Early, the big standout for me was Eric Rahill. He was great in The Paper and a scene-stealer in that overall mediocre show. Likewise, he steals the film every time he’s on camera with shooting off (what I imagine are) his ad-Iibbed lines. I feel like if there was an issue with the script, it’s in how it handles his character at the end.
To keep from gushing about the cast, I’ll keep this short. The casting department knocked it out of the park. The film is populated with some of the world’s best new and- senior character actors: I could have (and would have) watched an entire movie about Vanessa Bayer’s character, Kristen Johnston plays a delightfully imposing character, Conner O’Malley leaves a broken set in his wake, Claudia O’Doherty is reveling in her own evil, and Chris Bauer commands the camera in each scene.
If you’re expecting a comedy, look elsewhere. I found myself moved to tears by the end of the second act. It’s a grounded film, despite Deena’s best efforts, and it deals with heavy topics; eating disorders and addictions. There’s a fair bit of camp at the start to help endear you to the characters, but slowly throughout the film, layers of humor and camp are peeled away until you’re left with a gut-wrenching drama about a broken woman trying to make sense of her traumatic childhood and learn to love herself again. It’s a beautiful film.
There’s a through-line from John Early’s episode of The Characters and Maddie’s Secret. In his episode, there’s a sketch where he plays an actress in the third act of a rom-com. She knocks on the door of the male protagonist and, in the pouring rain, delivers a raw and honest monologue, only for the rain to stop and the director to approach her and ask her to do another take. Then another. The third time around, the actress’ mother walks up and forcibly tells her to get. It. Together. And suddenly, the actress delivers an applause-worthy performance.
That’s the sketch, there’s no joke (other than some cruel humor of watching the actress shiver while she’s being assaulted by the pouring rain), but a lot of heart. Early captured the essense of that sketch and expanded on it with his directorial debut. What’s most astonishing about the film is the sense of style you get throughout. You immediately get a sense of how he handles the camera, and his lighting choices and use of the visual medium are refreshing, to say the least.
RATING: 4/5
WHO SHOULD SEE THIS FILM?
- People who would rather forget their childhoods
- Conner O’Malley superfans
- Old ladies on their way to see Superman (2025)
Leave a Reply