Maddie's Secret

Brimming with style and spirit up to the final scene, Maddie’s Secret is among the most daring movies I’ve seen this year. That it simultaneously guarantees a giddy good time is a minor miracle.

Maddie’s Secret renewed my hope that this corner of the industry can go to new places, outside of what is edgy or trendy. It is an extremely accomplished debut and one of the boldest American movies I have seen in years.

In a satire like this, the laughs start heavy, but Early’s best trick is ending this journey in an earnest, emotionally authentic place. He’s not playing a punchline so much as a humorous, painful truth.

It’s this generation’s answer to “Cry-Baby” and also distinctly Early.

John Early's unique sensibility bursts onto the big screen with huge laughs in this loving recreation of '80s-'90s Lifetime movies that's just as heartfelt as it is hilarious.

As wild as things can get (tamer than you might expect), Early keeps the film emotionally grounded. Can Maddie be cured? Maybe not, but her secret’s safe with him.

What Early, who also wrote the screenplay, has his sights on is the hilarious tropes of the movie-of-the-week genre. And he almost completely pulls it off.