MADDIE'S SECRET (Off the CUFF)

Essential alt-comedian John Early stars as Maddie Ralph, a plucky dishwasher who leaps to viral superstardom at a trendy food content creation company, in his striking, auteur-announcing directorial debut, MADDIE’S SECRET.

While Maddie’s life seems picturesque — complete with an adoring husband (Eric Rahill), ride-or-die (literally?) best friend (Kate Berlant) and a cupboard full of woman-owned ethically-sourced chili crisp to boot — mounting professional pressures reawaken her long dormant struggle with an eating disorder. Unwilling to shatter the illusion of herself as the ingénue, Maddie unravels quietly, in secret, threatening her relationships and even her life.

Rooted in homage to the old-school “movie of the week,” MADDIE’S SECRET quickly reveals itself to be something totally fresh, refreshingly sincere and tonally distinct from any run-of-the-mill genre parody with Early’s sure hand behind the camera. Featuring perfectly calibrated performances from Early, Berlant, Rahill, Claudia O’Doherty, Vanessa Bayer, Conner O’Malley, and Kristen Johnston (as Maddie’s wicked mother), plus an ‘80s-inspired score from frequent Early musical collaborator Michael Hesslein, the film’s explosive comedic energy slowly gives way to a deeply affecting and earnest story of recovery, growth and the courage to be one’s truest self.

OFF THE CUFF is a year-round series presented by the Calgary Underground Film Festival. For those films we just can't make work with our festival dates, we go off the CUFF.