July at the RIO
This July, East Vancouver’s beloved Rio Theatre is rolling out a packed lineup that hits every note from razor-sharp satire to campy comedy and homegrown horror.
Whether you are looking for a highly anticipated indie directorial debut, a nostalgic 4K throwback, or an interactive night with filmmakers, the neighborhood single-screen is delivering a stellar run of cinema. Here is a quick look at what is hitting the big screen this month:
MADDIE'S SECRET - A new film by John Early
The Rio & Park Theatres
MADDIE’S SECRET is comedian, writer, and actor John Early‘s critically acclaimed directorial debut starring himself as Maddie, a plucky dishwasher who leaps to viral superstardom at a trendy food content creation company. While her life seems picturesque — complete with an adoring husband (Eric Rahill), ride-or-die best friend (Kate Berlant) and a cupboard full of woman-owned ethically-sourced chili crisp to boot — mounting professional pressures threaten to reawaken a hidden secret from her troubled past. A pitch-perfect blend of satire, melodrama, daring tonal shifts and intimate performances, the film marks a bold new voice in contemporary cinema.
“Maddie’s Secret is genuinely touching, largely because it engages very earnestly with melodrama as a genre—like Douglas Sirk–level earnestness—instead of approaching it as parody.” (Chicago Reader)
“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.” (New York Times)
“Early possesses a deep enough understanding of feminine issues to present them with true humor and gut-wrenching impact. It takes a special kind of man to do that.” (San Francisco Chronicle)
THE PARK THEATRE
Wednesday, July 8Doors 6:00 pm | Movie 6:30 pm *Start time subject to change. Please arrive on time.
Tickets & Trailer HERE
THE RIO THEATRE
Thursday, July 9Doors 6:00 pm | Movie 6:30 pm *Start time subject to change. Please arrive on time.
Tickets & Trailer HERE
THE RIO THEATRE
Saturday, July 11
Doors 6:30 pm | Movie 7:00 pm *Start time subject to change. Please arrive on time.
Tickets & Trailer HERE
LEGALLY BLONDE - 25th Anniversary 4K Restoration
The Rio Theatre
Elle Woods has it all.
She’s the president of her sorority, a Hawaiian Tropic girl, Miss June in her campus calendar, and, above all, a natural blonde. She dates the cutest fraternity boy on campus and wants nothing more than to be Mrs. Warner Huntington III. But, there’s just one thing stopping Warner from popping the question: Elle is too blonde. Growing up across the street from Aaron Spelling might mean something in LA, but nothing to Warner’s East-Coast blue blood family. So, when Warner packs up for Harvard Law and reunites with an old sweetheart from prep school, Elle rallies all her resources and gets into Harvard, determined to win him back. But law school is a far cry from the comforts of her poolside and the mall. Elle must wage the battle of her life, for her guy, for herself and for all the blondes who suffer endless indignities everyday. Starring Reese Witherspoon, Selma Blair, Luke Wilson, Victor Garber, Jennifer Coolidge and Matthew Davis.
THE RIO THEATRE
Friday, July 10
Doors 6:00 pm | Movie 6:30 pm *Start time subject to change. Please arrive on time.
Tickets & Trailer HERE
Show your Elle Woods sorority sister solidarity when choosing what to wear and think pink!
STOP! THAT! TRAIN! - The Greatest Train Wreck In Her-Story!
The Rio Theatre
STOP! THAT! TRAIN! follows best friends Tess (Ginger Minj) and DeeDee (Jujubee), train stewardesses who trade their dreary shifts on the Stank Rail for the glitzy Glamazonian Express. When a catastrophic “Stormaganza” threatens to derail the high-speed train and crash it into Los Angeles, the duo in coach must join forces with the snobby first class attendants (Symone, Brooke Lynn Hytes, Marcia Marcia Marcia) and President Gagwell (RuPaul) to save the day in this wild ride of camp and comedy.
“With a healthy dose of RuPaul’s signature wit and enough drag queen-friendly lighting to combat Hollywood’s run of dimly lit features, the team revives the disaster spoof with stylish aplomb.” (Salon.com)
“It’s ‘Airplane!’ with drag queens. What more could we ask for?” (Mashable)
“A 90-minute madcap riot that deserves a spot in drag comedy herstory alongside ‘White Chicks’ and ‘The Adventures of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert’.” (Guardian)
THE RIO THEATRE
Friday, July 17
Doors 5:30 pm | Movie 6:00 pm *Start time subject to change. Please arrive on time.
Tickets & Trailer HERE
THE RIO THEATRE
Thursday, July 23Doors 9:00 pm | Movie 9:30 pm *Start time subject to change. Please arrive on time.
Tickets & Trailer HERE
SON OF SARA: VOLUME 1 - Filmmakers in Attendance for Q&A
The Rio Theatre
SON OF SARA: Volume 1 is a wickedly entertaining Canadian horror film that subverts the classic “Rosemary’s Baby” trope into a queer-led, campy black comedy. Directed by Houston Bone, it follows an expectant lesbian couple whose quiet life devolves into a bloody, demented nightmare when the pregnant mother accepts an invitation to dinner with her estranged boyfriend and his mother. With Chloe Van Landschoot, Tymika Tafari, Garrett Hnatiuk.
“2026 is officially off to a fantastic start thanks to Houston Bone’s wickedly entertaining ‘SON OF SARA.’ We’re all dearly familiar with ‘Rosemary’s Baby’ and the unexpectedly-birthing-Satan setup, but ‘SON OF SARA’ brings the premise firmly into the 21st century with a deliciously campy tone that straddles the line between satanic horror and black comedy.” (lovehorror.co.uk)
“‘SON OF SARA’ has the festival credentials to back up the hype, too. The film opened the Blood in the Snow Film Festival in Toronto in November 2025, where lead Chloe Van Landschoot, of ‘From and Lune’, took home the festival’s award for Best Lead Performance in a Feature Film. She is joined by Tymika Tafari, Garret Hnatiuk, and Jane Moffat of ‘Fahrenheit 451.’ Writer-director Houston Bone, also known as Mathew Murray, comes to the feature world after building a following with the Canadian Screen Award-nominated web series Teenagers, which has racked up more than 20 million views, so this is a filmmaker who knows how to grab an audience.” (andersonvision.com)
Filmmakers in attendance for Q&A.
THE RIO THEATRE
Tuesday, July 28
Doors 6:00 pm | Film 6:30 pm *Start time subject to change. Please arrive on time.
Tickets & Trailer HERE