About Us

The Lenient Critic defines itself as a source for people with even the vaguest interest in film who want to know the truth about what they can expect. There is a certain eye towards fairness and verity, but also towards celebration — in addition to conveying our specific thoughts on a new release, we want to celebrate the simple fact that it was produced and make sure that the people behind the film get their well-deserved recognition for their accomplishments. We believe that this recognition is critical to bring attention to the A-list and under-appreciated alike, and to differentiate ourselves in an ever-growing Internet of film criticism websites.

Rowan Wood (he/him) is a writer, actor and filmmaker. He is a sophomore at Sarah Lawrence College, and has written, directed and acted in multiple feature films. Rowan has written a one-act play (Say Yes!, originally performed in 2019) and acted in The Girl Who Lost Her Heart, Froggy Went A-Courtin’ (both performed in 2015) and Twelfth Night (performed in 2018), as well as stage crew work for Say Yes!, Legally Blonde (2019) and Mother Courage and Her Children (2020), two of which he won awards for. Rowan also co-created, wrote and directed a three-season series on YouTube called The Jethroverse, and is currently working on a series of spinoffs, including serving as executive producer on the 2020 miniseries Drake & Wayne. Additionally, Rowan co-hosts a number of podcasts (including Rowan and the Wasteland and Runtime, Babe) and does freelance work for his local newspaper, The Cape Cod Chronicle, and is a contributing writer for SiftPop and associate editor for The Invention of Dreams.

The Lenient Critic is committed to quality and fair writing above all else. We are confident that the caliber of our writing, the thoroughness of our research, the comprehensiveness of our podcasts and the thoughtfulness of our soon-to-grow crew will create a brand that readers value, trust and respect.

Guest Writers

Davis Mathis (he/she) is a writer and a senior at Sarah Lawrence College. He is an aspiring television comedy writer and a co-captain of the Sarah Lawrence women’s volleyball team. Since high school, she has participated in a number of theatrical productions and has co-written a number of short films. She co-hosts a podcast, Runtime, Babe, with Lenient Critic founder Rowan Wood, in addition to being his wonderful and loving girlfriend.

Past Guest Writers

Danial Cousins is an actor and a writer. He is a sophomore at UMass Amherst. Danial has an impressive theatre resumé, having acted in a number of productions over the past few years, undoubtedly with more in the future. His credits include the Priest in Twelfth Night (2018), Ralph in A Simple Task (2019), Carlos and Lowell in Legally Blonde (2019) and the Commandant in Dark Road (2020). Additionally, he acted in multiple episodes of Multiversal, a miniseries created by Rowan.

Grace Ripley is an actor and a writer. She is a senior at Sturgis Charter School, and has acted in a number of theatrical productions, including the world premiere of The Weight of Silence, a drama by Cheryl Allan Carlyle. She has also been a part of The Jethroverse, and is featured in the upcoming films Beyond Mercy and The Jethroverse: Hollow Victory. She and Rowan have also worked together on Twelfth Night (2018), Say Yes! (2019), Legally Blonde (2019) and Mother Courage and Her Children (2020). Grace is also an aspiring screenwriter, currently working on a number of stories and screenplays.