Secret Admirer

If you are after a comedy that actually makes you laugh out loud, Secret Admirer is available in Australia on Amazon Prime Video, and in the US on Amazon Prime Video and fuboTV right now. A tight runtime that never overstays its welcome. A 7/10 rating says what the writing already makes obvious: this one works. C. Thomas Howell leads a cast with real comic timing. Put it on tonight on Amazon Prime Video and see for yourself.

Secret Admirer arrived without much fanfare and built its audience the hard way — through word of mouth. The jokes in Secret Admirer land because the characters underneath them are worth caring about. An anonymous love letter left in Michael Ryan's locker on the last day of school wreaks havoc on his life and the lives of everyone who comes in contact with it. C. Thomas Howell and Lori Loughlin lead a cast that brings real weight to the material. It was released in 1985. The real test of any comedy is whether it is still funny once you know all the jokes, and Secret Admirer holds up on rewatch in a way that separates it from one-off curiosities. It delivers reliably on what it promises, which is more than most of its competition manages.

Comedy fans looking for a reliably funny watch will find it in Secret Admirer. It rewards viewers regardless of what else is in their watch history. Best experienced as a single, sustained watch from start to finish. C. Thomas Howell sets the tone, but the supporting cast is where a lot of the best moments come from. A reliable pick for any night you want quality comedy without the homework.