Melissa Leon
The Daily Beast
New York, NY, United States
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Past articles by Melissa:
Why ‘The Suicide Squad’s’ Cop-Out Ending Betrays Its Rebel Heart
James Gunn’s DC antihero do-over boasts plenty of mischievous humor and gore, but is not without its flaws—most notably the film’s end. [Warning: Spoilers] → Read More
Why Isn’t Sean Spicer Mauled by Zombies in Zack Snyder’s ‘Army of the Dead?’
It’s one of many missed opportunities in the “Justice League” filmmaker’s gory latest, now streaming on Netflix. → Read More
The ‘Irish Miyazaki’ on the Animated Masterpiece That Deserves to Win the Oscar
Irish directors Tomm Moore and Ross Stewart on the beauty of ‘Wolfwalkers,’ the animated movie that could beat Pixar to the gold. → Read More
‘WandaVision’ Star Paul Bettany Reveals He Wore a Fake Butt in the Marvel Series
How the Disney+ series ‘WandaVision’ created the illusion of a perfect 1950s husband with Spanx, blue face paint, and a fake butt. → Read More
‘Raya and the Last Dragon’ Soars Thanks to Kelly Marie Tran
The new Disney+ animated film “Raya and the Last Dragon” boasts an all-Asian cast, breathtaking visuals, and a beloved “Star Wars” icon at its center. → Read More
Inside the Terrifying ‘Saint Maud,’ the First Great Horror Movie of 2021
Filmmaker Rose Glass and star Morfydd Clark open up to Melissa Leon about their film centered on a woman consumed by religious fanaticism. (Warning: Spoilers) → Read More
Disney Unveils Flurry of New ‘Star Wars’ and Marvel Projects Amid Massive Worker Layoffs
Disney announced a ton of new content—including ten new Marvel and “Star Wars” series—as part of its big Investor Day. But we shouldn’t forget all the workers they’re letting go. → Read More
‘Rick and Morty’ Returns to Capture the Surreality of Life Under Quarantine
The animated Adult Swim show has returned after a long hiatus. It was worth the wait. → Read More
‘Knives Out’: A Devilishly Fun Murder-Mystery Skewering the Left and Right
Filmmaker Rian Johnson (“The Last Jedi”) opens up to Melissa Leon about his star-studded whodunit, boasting riotous turns from the men most known as James Bond and Captain America. → Read More
Ferocious Comic Thriller ‘Parasite’ by Bong Joon-ho Is One of the Best Films of the Year
The South Korean auteur has created another classic in this genre-bending masterpiece. Warning: Contains spoilers. → Read More
‘Undone’: Inside the ‘BoJack Horseman’ Team’s Latest Animated Marvel
Amazon’s new animated series “Undone” is “as incisive about mental illness, inherited trauma, disability, and spirituality as it is warm, funny, and daring,” writes Melissa Leon. → Read More
‘The Kitchen’: How Andrea Berloff Fought to Direct a Female Mob Movie
The Oscar-nominated director of “The Kitchen” opens up to Melissa Leon about demanding a seat at the table and how far Hollywood has to go when it comes to female representation. → Read More
Does ‘Once Upon a Time in Hollywood’s’ Brutal Ending Go Too Far?
Fans and critics alike have been hotly debating the chaotic finale to Quentin Tarantino’s ‘60s-set fever dream. [Warning: Spoilers] → Read More
‘Share’: The Twisted Tale of a Teen Girl’s Sexual Assault, Captured on Video for Her High School to See
Pippa Bianco’s debut is a harrowing study of a teen who wakes up one morning to learn that a video of her being sexually assaulted while passed out has spread across her school. → Read More
Why Quentin Tarantino’s ‘Once Upon a Time in Hollywood’ Is Shrouded in Controversy
Tarantino’s latest, starring Leonardo DiCaprio and Brad Pitt, has generated plenty of buzz for its quality—and criticism for its acclaimed filmmaker’s past misdeeds. → Read More
Game of Thrones’ Exciting Future: Dragons, Mermaids, Zombies and More
You thought HBO was done with ‘Game of Thrones?’ Hardly. The network has several intriguing spin-off shows in development—and that doesn’t even include Arya’s ‘West of Westeros.’ → Read More
‘Game of Thrones’ Ends Not With a Bang But a Whimper
The Season 8 finale of ‘Game of Thrones’ wrapped things up in unsatisfying fashion, to say the least. [Warning: Spoilers] → Read More
‘Game of Thrones’ Series Finale Predictions: Will Jon Snow Kill Daenerys?
Our resident GoT expert Melissa Leon breaks down what’s likely (and unlikely) to happen during this Sunday’s final episode of HBO’s ‘Game of Thrones.’ [Warning: Spoilers] → Read More
Game of Thrones’ Baffling Decision to Turn Daenerys Into a Crazy, Murderous Ex-Girlfriend
The penultimate episode of the HBO epic failed to service its main characters—several of whom met shocking demises. [Warning: Spoilers] → Read More
Game of Thrones’ ‘The Last of the Starks’: With a Daenerys-Cersei Showdown Looming, Has the HBO Series Lost Its Way?
“Now, with only two hours and some-odd minutes left in the series, character logic has begun to unravel,” writes Melissa Leon. → Read More