LAFM Opening Night – Maddie’s Secret (in LA)

Screening of Maddie’s Secret (2026)

The prodigiously talented comedian and actor John Early deftly balances all-out satire and tender melodrama in his feature directorial debut, with an infectious love of film artifice that owes as much to Douglas Sirk as But I’m A Cheerleader. Early embodies Maddie, a bright-eyed dishwasher at a trendy culinary company who is unexpectedly promoted as one of their content creators. But the flashy new role comes at a cost, pulling her long suppressed eating disorder back to the center of her life. Moving with the spirit of a campy made-for-TV movie, the film pairs sharp parody with genuine feeling, allowing moments of real sincerity to emerge beneath its bold, stylized surface. -AB

Starts 9:30PM PT