Ep 086: The Obsession of Perfection in Whiplash, Black Swan, and Fivehead

As the constant scrutiny of our appearance has become increasingly normalized, filmmaker and actress Maddy Foley goes to the extreme to explore the cost of our relentless pursuit of perfection in her TIFF-premiering short, Fivehead.

Fivehead follows Eve, whose childhood insecurity resurfaces after an arcade caricature artist draws her with an impossibly oversized forehead. What begins as a playful joke quickly spirals into a dark obsession with transforming her appearance.

In Fivehead, body horror and comedy become the perfect vehicles for exploring the lengths we’ll go to achieve our idea of perfect. In a frank conversation about rumination, body dysmorphia, and OCD, we deep dive into the question: how far is too far when it comes to changing ourselves?

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Music: Deppisch
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ABOUT OUR GUEST

Maddy Foley is a Canadian actress and writer from Toronto. She trained at The Second City Conservatory and completed the UCLA Screenwriting Program in 2022.

In 2024, she appeared in the Canadian feature film Deaner '89 and played Nat in CBC’s One More Time. Her performance earned a Canadian Screen Award nomination for Best Supporting Performance in a Comedy Series.

In addition to acting, Foley writes her own projects. In 2021, she starred as the titular Meg in the CBC Short Film Face-Off Finalist, Meg Writes a Reference Letter. The short inspired the Bell Fibe TV1 series she co-created, co-wrote, executive produced, and starred in for two seasons called Everybody’s Meg. The series ran for two seasons and received six Canadian Screen Awards nominations. Foley was nominated for Best Writing, Web Series in 2025 and Best Lead Performance, Web Series or Program in 2026.

ABOUT FIVEHEAD

Fivehead follows Eve, played by writer Maddy Foley, whose childhood insecurity resurfaces after an arcade caricature artist draws her with an impossibly oversized forehead. What begins as a playful joke quickly spirals into a dark obsession with transforming her appearance. Convinced the size of her forehead is ruining her life, Eve resorts to desperate measures that push the film from absurdist dark comedy into body horror.

Fivehead is written by Maddy Foley, who also serves as executive producer. Made on an entirely self-funded, shoestring budget, the film is directed and produced by Christian Smith, alongside producers Abigail Thorpe, Jenny De Lucia and Dan Stolfi. Abigail Thorpe is a Toronto-based producer currently developing a slate of independent feature films through Ambition Studios Inc., where she also produces commercial and short-form content. Daniel Stolfi and Jennifer De Lucia are award-winning producers and the founders of You and Me Entertainment. Fivehead marks their thirteenth short film and their second short selected by the Toronto International Film Festival.