▁with ▁editing ▁for ▁five ▁weeks . ▁With ▁only ▁two ▁weeks ▁left ▁until ▁the ▁dead line ▁for ▁subm itting ▁to ▁the ▁Sund ance ▁Film ▁Festival , ▁De cker ▁realized ▁there ▁was ▁still ▁a ▁major ▁problem ▁with ▁the ▁ending , ▁so ▁she ▁brought ▁on ▁David ▁B ark er ▁for ▁some ▁last - min ute ▁changes . ▁S pi ke ▁Jon ze ▁and ▁Mike ▁M ills ▁also ▁offered ▁advice ▁during ▁post - production . ▁ ▁Release ▁ ▁Mad eline ’ s ▁Mad eline ▁was ▁first ▁screen ed ▁at ▁the ▁Sund ance ▁Film ▁Festival ▁in ▁January ▁ 2 0 1 8 , ▁and ▁the ▁Berlin ▁Film ▁Fest iv als ▁in ▁February . ▁O sc ill os cope ▁Labor ator ies ▁acquired ▁U . S . ▁distribution ▁rights ▁and ▁announced ▁plans ▁for ▁a ▁general ▁release ▁later ▁in ▁the ▁year . ▁The ▁film ▁initially ▁was ▁shown ▁at ▁only ▁one ▁the ater ▁in ▁Manh attan , ▁and ▁was ▁eventually ▁expanded ▁to ▁ 3 1 ▁the aters . ▁ ▁Re ception ▁ ▁Crit ical ▁response ▁On ▁review ▁aggreg ator ▁Rotten ▁Tomatoes , ▁the ▁film ▁holds ▁an ▁appro val ▁rating ▁of ▁ 8 8 % ▁based ▁on ▁ 1 1 5 ▁reviews , ▁with ▁an ▁average ▁rating ▁of ▁ 7 . 6 7 / 1 0 . ▁The ▁website ' s ▁critical ▁cons ensus ▁reads , ▁" Mad eline ' s ▁Mad eline ▁proves ▁experimental ▁cinema ▁is ▁alive ▁and ▁well ▁— ▁and ▁serves ▁as ▁a ▁powerful ▁calling ▁card ▁for ▁Hel ena ▁Howard ▁in ▁her ▁big - screen ▁debut ." ▁Met ac rit