Who directed "The Secrets We Share"?

The feature film "The Secrets We Share" was directed by Bree Mills, an acclaimed veteran filmmaker and Adult Time Chief Creative Officer.

What themes does "The Secrets We Share" explore?

The film explores themes of toxic maternal control, fractured masculinity, family secrets, and incel culture.

Bree Mills Directs "The Secrets We Share" for Pure Taboo, Adult Time

Bree Mills's new film, "The Secrets We Share," explores toxic maternal control, fractured masculinity, and family secrets. Penny Barber stars.

Pure Taboo and Adult Time have released "The Secrets We Share," a new feature film directed by Bree Mills. The film, which debuted on September 23, 2025, explores themes of toxic maternal control, fractured masculinity, and family secrets.

Production and Themes

“The Secrets We Share” is a new feature from Pure Taboo and Adult Time. Lilly Bell is shooting a scene for the film, which aims to capture something brutal, raw, and real. The film explores toxic maternal control, fractured masculinity, and family secrets.

Bree Mills, an acclaimed veteran filmmaker and Adult Time Chief Creative Officer, directed the film. Mills stated that the film is a chance to follow through on an idea that had been developing for some months. She mentioned doing a feature earlier in the year about a "bad dad" and wanting to create a "big Pure Taboo feature this year about a really, really bad mother."

Mills also stated that she wanted to explore "the most forbidden corners of family roleplay—the unspoken bonds and private tensions that can be more provocative than explicit acts." She added that at its core, the film is "the story of a mother and son bound by an unsettling intimacy that unravels their already fractured family." Mills also noted that the film examines "incel culture: how feelings of isolation, resentment, and entitlement can fester in the shadows, warping both identity and relationships."

The film is anchored by raw, uncompromising performances, which exemplify Pure Taboo’s approach of pushing boundaries while merging erotic fantasy with dramatic thriller. Producers Siouxsie Q and Michael Vegas contributed to the narrative, which features suspense, emotion, and psychological depth.

Cast and Characters

Penny Barber anchors the film as Margaret, a manipulative matriarch whose influence pushes her stepson John to the edge of a psychological break. Barber is known for her screen presence and affinity for taboo narratives. Mills admitted that she wrote the film with Barber in mind, referring to her as the "undisputed ‘dommy mommy’ in the business."

Barber described her character, Margaret, as "just the worst." She stated that Margaret "gets off on playing favorites with her stepsons and seeing just how far they’ll go — because they both love and hate her." Barber also commented on the "subversive passion that comes with these abusive, faux-incestuous relationships," adding that while she would not want to experience it in real life, she finds it "darkly alluring in fantasy."

The cast also includes Lilly Bell, Max Fills, Axel Haze, Tyler Cruise, and Charles Dera. Lilly Bell plays a 20-year-old exchange student whose summer immersion abroad becomes a nightmare. She becomes entangled in a household marked by secrecy and an unsettling intimacy between Margaret and her withdrawn son, played by Max Fills. The story begins as a seemingly innocent stay but unravels into coercion, isolation, and fractured identities.