Maddie's Secret (2025)
12-month trend
12-month trend
Monthly article views
2025-09 to 2026-08
A dishwasher's viral TikTok success triggers a dangerous spiral of fame, insecurity, and a hidden struggle with an eating disorder.
The story
Madison "Maddie" Ralph is a dishwasher at a Los Angeles test kitchen who dreams of becoming a chef. Her life changes overnight when a video of her cooking goes viral on TikTok, leading her lecherous boss to promote her to an on-camera personality. As she becomes a sensation, Maddie struggles with intense insecurities regarding her body and faces harassment from online viewers and her estranged mother. The pressure escalates when producers of a popular food drama visit the kitchen to hire a culinary consultant, forcing Maddie to navigate her burgeoning fame while secretly battling a relapse of her dormant bulimia nervosa.
Full plot (contains spoilers)
Madison "Maddie" Ralph, a dishwasher at a Los Angeles test kitchen, becomes an overnight sensation after a video of her cooking goes viral on TikTok. While her boss promotes her to an on-camera personality, Maddie struggles with body insecurities and insults from her estranged mother, Beverlee. When producers of the drama 'The Boar' visit to hire a consultant, Maddie suffers a relapse of bulimia nervosa. After faking a pregnancy to hide her purging from her husband Jake, she is eventually hospitalized following a cardiac arrest. She enters an inpatient treatment program where she meets Julie, a woman who dies of heart failure, and Deena, her best friend who feigns bulimia to help her escape for a dinner with the producers. During the dinner, Maddie collapses after purging, resulting in a gastrointestinal rupture. She eventually confronts her mother, Beverlee, in a therapy session, revealing the abuse she suffered as a child. After preparing a meal for her fellow patients, Maddie leaves the facility, reconciles with her friend Emily, and begins a new chapter of self-reflection.
- First release year
- 2025
- Runtime (minutes)
- 101
- Production countries
- United States
- Original languages
- English
- Directors
- John Early
- Writers
- John Early · writer; John Early · director
- Cast and characters
- John Early; Kate Berlant; Eric Rahill; Claudia O'Doherty; Conner O'Malley; Vanessa Bayer; Pat Regan; Dominique Witten; Emily Allan; Leah Hennessey; Ruby McCollister; Chris Bauer; Kristen Johnston
- Genres
- satirical comedy-drama
- Themes
- Body image; Social media fame; Eating disorders; Mother-daughter conflict; Recovery
- Tone and mood
- Satirical; Melodramatic; Intimate
- Premise and plot tags
- Chef; Eating Disorder; Social Media; Los Angeles
- Source material / true-story basis
- Inspired by the John Waters film Female Trouble (1974)
- Content notes
- Bulimia
- Reception
- The film received generally favorable reviews, with an 85% approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes and a 74 out of 100 score on Metacritic. Critics praised its emotional depth and vibrant style.
- Production trivia
- The title is a reference to the 1986 television film Kate's Secret.; A short excerpt of a dance class sequence in the film became a widely circulated viral GIF.; The film was shot at John Early's home in Silver Lake, Los Angeles.
Film metadata comes from the open sources listed in Credits & Contact. Catalogue details may be incomplete.
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