Desson Patrick Thomson is an American journalist,film critic,^[3] and former government speechwriter. He is known for his long tenure as a film critic forThe Washington Post^[4] and his later work as a speechwriter for theU.S. Department of State during theObama administration.^[5]He also served as the Director of Executive Communications for theMotion Picture Association of America (MPAA), the principal lobbying organization for the U.S. film industry.^[6]

Thomson grew up in theUnited Kingdom. He graduated fromAmerican University in Washington, D.C., where he majored in communications andcinema studies.^[7] His early interest in film and cultural criticism led him into a career in entertainment journalism.^[8]

Thomson joinedThe Washington Post in the 1980s, initially working as a copy aide before transitioning tofilm criticism.^[9] He became a staff film critic in the Weekend and Style sections, a position he held for over two decades.^[10]

Known for his vivid writing style and critical insight, Thomson wrote hundreds of reviews, features, and essays on cinema.^[11]

In 1987, when he namedTodd Haynes’sSuperstar: The Karen Carpenter Story, an indie film which employed Barbie dolls, the best movie of that year, and in years such as 2007 when he namedZodiac,^[12]No Country for Old Men, andThe Diving Bell and the Butterfly among the best films of the year, he signaled his preference for auteur-driven, innovative storytelling.^[13]

Throughout his career, Thomson often advocated for originality in filmmaking and was critical of Hollywood’s reliance on remakes and formulaic content. In a widely read column, he criticized the film industry for revisiting classic movies without offering fresh creative value, arguing that remakes represented a decline in artistic ambition.^[14]

After leavingThe Washington Post, Thomson transitioned into political communications.^[10] He joined theU.S. Department of State duringHillary Clinton’s tenure as Secretary of State, serving as a speechwriter.^[15] He continued in this role under SecretaryJohn Kerry, contributing to major policy addresses and public diplomacy initiatives.^[16] His colleagues during this time included other former journalists, such asGlen Johnson andDouglas Frantz.^[3]

As a critic, Thomson was known for championingindependent films andinternational cinema, while also engaging with popular Hollywood productions. His film reviews, essays, and cultural commentary appeared regularly in The Washington Post from the late 1980s through the mid-2000s.^[17] He has been featured in interviews, panel discussions, and retrospectives onfilm criticism, and his writings continue to be cited in scholarly and journalistic works on cinema.^[4]

Thomson is also known for his reflections on cinema’s capacity to explore complex themes, as illustrated in his 2020 article "Set Your Phasers to Spiritual—A Movie Watchlist for Contemplating the Big Stuff, where he recommended films noted for their contemplative pacing and spiritual resonance.^[18] His writing blends a passion for film history with cultural insight, encouraging audiences to reconsider slower, more meditative cinematic works in light of contemporary challenges.

In addition to his work as a political speechwriter and former film critic, Thomson is also a musician, singer, and songwriter.^[19] He was the co-founder and lead vocalist of theWashington, D.C.–based band Cairo Fred, which he formed in 2000 alongside longtime friend, collaborator and guitarist/pianist Bradford Heck, who died in 2025.^[20]In 2022, Thomson and Heck’s songs receive 5 awards, including honorable mentions in the Songwriters Association of Washington contest, and an honorable mention the following year under the "Open" category due to the genre-defying nature of their work.^[21]Beyond Cairo Fred, Thomson has performed in numerous tribute concerts for BandHouse Gigs and Newmyer Flyer, honoring artists such asJoni Mitchell,David Bowie,Bruce Springsteen,Tom Petty,Burt Bacharach andHal David, and theBritish New Wave. He is also known for his theatrical role as Dr. Frank-N-Furter in stage productions of The Rocky Horror Picture Show.^[22]

• The Washington Post people
• American University School of Communication alumni
• American film critics
• Living people
• 1958 births
• 20th-century American journalists
• 20th-century American male writers
• 21st-century American journalists
• 21st-century American male writers
• 20th-century American male journalists
• American speechwriters
• Writers from Surrey
• English emigrants to the United States
• 21st-century American male journalists

• CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list
• Articles with short description
• Short description is different from Wikidata
• Articles with hCards