Maddie Ralph, John Early works as a dishwasher at Gourmaybe, a Los Angeles test kitchen that produces short-form food content, though she yearns to be a chef. One evening, Maddie's husband Jake Eric Rahill films her preparing one of her vegetarian recipes and posts it on TikTok, where it goes viral overnight. Though angry with her for breaching her contract with Gourmaybe, Maddie's lecherous boss Zack Conner O'Malley promotes her to an on-camera personality, and she quickly becomes a sensation.
Her sudden rise brings both thrill and pressure. Online viewers flood her with comments, and the Gourmaybe kitchen is led by arrogant chef Emily Claudia O'Doherty, whose confidence sharpens Maddie's insecurities about her body. Maddie also confronts hurtful messages from her estranged mother Beverlee Ralph Kristen Johnston, whose taunts sting from afar. The spotlight intensifies as producers of the popular food-based TV drama The Boar visit Gourmaybe, weighing Maddie against Emily to join as a culinary consultant for their upcoming sixth season.
The strain takes a toll on Maddie’s health. She experiences a relapse of bulimia nervosa, which she tries to hide from loved ones. When Jake discovers her hunched over the toilet after purging, she lies that she is pregnant. Deena [Kate Berlant], Maddie’s best friend, tries to help with a weekend of cooking and a body-inclusive dance class, but Maddie’s condition worsens and Deena begins to resent Maddie for seemingly neglecting their friendship. After overexerting herself at a class, Maddie suffers cardiac arrest and is rushed to the hospital. Dr. Kronenfeld [Chris Bauer], a specialist in eating disorders, recommends an inpatient treatment program. Although Maddie needs to prepare a meal for The Boar producers in two weeks, she agrees to enter the program and confides in Jake about her bulimia.
At the program, Maddie is roomed with Julie, a sweet but childish woman who is under strict orders not to exercise, and she encounters fellow patients Brittany, Connie, and Amanda. Deena checks herself into the facility under false pretenses and helps Maddie escape in time for her dinner with The Boar producers. Aghast that Maddie is breaking the rules, Julie begins doing aerobic exercises on her bed as Maddie leaves. At the dinner, Maddie is revolted by the sight of people eating, and the stress deepens when she accidentally ruins one of her dishes by leaving the stand mixer running too long. She runs upstairs to purge, and a producer discovers her unconscious on the bathroom floor, having vomited up blood. She is returned to the hospital, where a doctor tells Jake that Maddie has never been pregnant, and then to the facility. Upon arrival, Maddie learns that Julie died of heart failure, which she blames on herself. Deena becomes Maddie's new roommate, but makes insensitive comments about Julie and reacts violently when Maddie calls her out.
Maddie honors Julie's memory in a private ceremony with Brittany, Connie, and Amanda, during which she admits that her tumultuous relationship with Beverlee had prevented her from wanting children, but Julie awakened protective, maternal feelings in her. Maddie tells Kronenfeld that she is ready to confront Beverlee, who arrives for a session. Maddie recounts Beverlee’s childhood manipulations—forcing her to eat only meat as part of the Atkins diet and encouraging purging when Maddie was bullied for her body—before Beverlee mocks and belittles both Maddie and Kronenfeld and storms out. After preparing a vegetarian meal for the fellow patients, Maddie leaves the facility, while Deena is transferred to the mental health clinic for her violent behavior. Emily, who has taken The Boar job, visits Maddie at home to make amends with her. Maddie tries to talk to Jake, but he remains upset with her for faking her pregnancy. Uncertain of her future, Maddie goes for a run with a quiet, hopeful smile.
