---
title: "Secretary (2002) review"
description: "I’d let James Spader spank me…."
url: https://www.joekarlsson.com/reviews/secretary/
---

![A still from Secretary (2002)](https://www.joekarlsson.com/images/reviews/secretary/backdrop.webp)

# Secretary (2002)

May 27, 2026 | 2 min read | Rated 3.5 out of 5 | Dir. Steven Shainberg | Rewatch

I’d let James Spader spank me….

This movie has shifted a lot since I first watched it ten years ago.

First of all, I forgot how much happens after the hunger strike. My vague fuzzy memory was that it ended there, but no - it has a happy ending. That reframes everything for me

Mr Grey is a complicated character. I wouldn’t condone his actions in real life - his lack of communication, his improper professionalism - but it makes for a compelling movie. He’s such a stoic character, incapable of expressing his feelings directly, and yet James Spader conveys so much depth without overt expression. Also forgot what a weird little freak he is. So pathetic before he starts to open up toward Lee at the end. James Spader is the absolute king of playing dang ass horny freaks. He gets a raise.

Maggie Gyllenhaal gives an incredible performance too. I don’t think I appreciated it the first time, but having seen her work since, she’s showing real transformation and growth, weakness and strength, all throughout this film.

I picked up on the naturalism imagery this time - the flowers, the dirt, the grass, the worms. Mister Grey’s only love seems to be his flowers, and Lee’s biggest desire is to be taken care of like them. There’s a connection between this nontraditional relationship and nature itself. To Lee and Mister Grey, this is the natural expression of their love, even if polite society doesn’t see it that way.

This is a story about two repressed people finding ways to express themselves and finally be seen.

I do think Lee probably should have gotten more psychiatric support throughout the film, especially with the final hunger strike. And I wish Mister Grey would communicate more about his intentions and feelings - it hurts watching Lee be so wounded and confused trying to read him. I worry that men will watch this and think this is how kinky relationships work. It’s not a how-to guide.

The film is shot a bit roughly - you can tell it’s low budget. But they make use of just a couple sets, and I appreciate that. This was probably difficult to get funding for, and they made use of every cent.

Also - Osgood Perkins is in this? The guy who directed Longlegs is acting in Secretary? That’s hilarious.

Also on [Letterboxd](https://letterboxd.com/joekarlsson/film/secretary/)

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Karlsson

I write about my homelab, AI tools, databases, and the weird stuff I build on the side.

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