A year-in-movies draft, then John Early on making ‘Maddie’s Secret’
Based on the show notes, this episode mixes a rapid-fire best-of-2026-so-far roundup with a longer filmmaker conversation. Sean and Amanda bring in Ringer voices to champion favorite films before Sean sits down with John Early about ‘Maddie’s Secret’ and his creative path.
This preview is based only on the published show notes, but the episode looks like a two-part listen for movie fans who like both recommendations and industry conversation. First, Sean Fennessey and Amanda Dobbins gather a deep bench of Ringer contributors to share their favorite movie of 2026 so far. The lineup suggests a broad range of tastes, with the notes promising everything from major blockbusters to smaller indies. If you enjoy hearing one passionate pick at a time rather than a ranked list, this structure may be especially appealing: each guest gets a dedicated segment, making it easy to jump to specific voices or sample a variety of perspectives. The back half shifts gears. Sean is then joined by John Early to talk about his new film, *Maddie’s Secret*. According to the notes, their conversation covers the unusual path of getting the movie made, the cinematic influences behind it, and why Early wants to focus more seriously on filmmaking going forward. That makes this section potentially interesting not just for fans of Early, but also for listeners curious about how performers think about moving deeper into film work. If you’re deciding whether to queue this up, the main draw seems to be variety: quick-hit movie advocacy from multiple Ringer personalities, followed by a more focused creative interview.
About this episode
Sean and Amanda are joined by some Ringer all-stars to share their favorite movies of the year so far, including big blockbusters, small indies, and everything in between. Later, Sean is joined by John Early to discuss his new film, ‘Maddie’s Secret,’ and break down the crazy journey of making this movie, shed light on his cinematic influences, and explain why he wants to prioritize filmmaking in his career going forward. (0:00) Intro (1:00) Chris Ryan’s favorite movie of 2026 (7:01) Joanna Robinson’s favorite movie of 2026 (17:20) Charles Holmes’s favorite movie of 2026 (27:22) Mallory Rubin’s favorite movie of 2026 (44:36) Van Lathan’s favorite movie of 2026 (58:21) Adam Nayman’s favorite movie of 2026 (1:12:12) Yasi Salek’s favorite movie of 2026 (1:26:19) Rob Mahoney’s favorite movie of 2026 (1:37:17) Jack Sanders’s favorite movie of 2026 (1:45:04) Amanda Dobbins’s favorite movie of 2026 (1:52:44) Sean Fennessey’s favorite movie of 2026 (1:58:23) John Early joins the show! Hosts: Sean Fennessey and Amanda Dobbins Guests: Chris Ryan, Joanna Robinson, Charles Holmes, Mallory Rubin, Van Lathan, Adam Nayman, Yasi Salek, Rob Mahoney, and John Early Producer: Jack Sanders Production Support: Lucas Cavanagh Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices