Will Jordan (author)

Will Jordan
Born
Fife, Scotland
Other nameThe Critical Drinker
Occupations
  • Writer
  • YouTuber
Years active2012–present
YouTube information
Channels
Years active2017–present
GenreMovie reviews
Subscribers2.4 million
Views938 million
Last updated: January 5, 2026

Will Jordan is a Scottish novelist, film critic and YouTuber.[1][2][3] On YouTube, he runs a movie review channel named The Critical Drinker, in which he discusses popular media from a conservative perspective.[4][5][6][7] Jordan is the author of the Ryan Drake series.[8] His novel Redemption (2012) was nominated for the McIlvanney Prize.[9][10]

Early life

Jordan was born and raised in Fife. He completed an honours degree in Information Technology before working in web design for Sky Digital.[11]

Career

Jordan began publishing movie reviews on YouTube during the 2010s. Many of his critiques are focused on identity politics and plot inconsistencies in modern films. According to him, a number of such movies have at times prioritized the promotion of leftist ideologies at the cost of effective storytelling. Jordan occasionally makes videos showing positive examples of Hollywood films. Most of his videos are narrated by his humorous "drinker" persona, which Die Welt described as "an exaggerated version of" Jordan himself.[2]

Jordan has criticized movies such as Captain Marvel and the Star Wars Sequels for their feminist messaging and portrayal of men. His review of Captain Marvel, in which he played his persona for the first time, caused his channel to grow substantially. His review of Ghostbusters (2016) was also positively received in the platform.[2]

According to Matt Dinniman, Jordan collaborated with the third book of the Dungeon Crawler Carl series. Dinniman later wrote in 2025, as an adaptation of the books was being produced, that he regretted Jordan's participation in the project. Jordan responded on social media that he found Dinniman's response "interesting since he was VERY excited to work with me and claimed to be a big fan when it benefited him".[7]

Jordan runs a podcast on YouTube. During a conversation with Project Hail Mary author Andy Weir, Jordan praised the movie adaptation of the book as a quality science fiction film that appeals to a modern audience that grew up with Star Trek. During the conversation, Jordan defended the position that Paramount should remove all modern Star Trek shows, from Enterprise to Starfleet Academy, from the franchise's canon.[12]

Publications

Reception

Adrian Magson described Jordan's debut of the Ryan Drake series as an action-packed "roller-coaster".[10] Myles McWeeney said on the Irish Independent that the novel was "a thrill-a-minute adventure with likeable and well-drawn central characters".[1]

Novelist Linda Wilson wrote on Crime Review about Jordan's third novel Betrayal that "If you like your thrillers fast, complex and realistic, you’ll feel at home here."[14] She has compared his writing style to Matt Hilton's and Sean Black's.[8]

Awards

Year Category Institution or publication Result Notes Ref.
2012 McIlvanney Prize Redemption Nominated [23]

Filmography

Web

Year Title Role Notes
2024 Rogue Elements: A Ryan Drake Story Cameo writer and producer

Personal life

Jordan lives in Fife, Scotland[2] with his wife and two children.[24]

References

  1. ^ a b c "Redemption". Irish Independent. 13 October 2012.
  2. ^ a b c d "YouTuber Will Jordan: Unkorrekter Trunkenbold gegen woke Hollywood-Dilettanten". Die Welt (in German). Archived from the original on 16 July 2022. Retrieved 7 September 2025.
  3. ^ Romir, Peter (2020). "Whisky, Wahnsinn und Weisheiten". Nordbayern (in German). Retrieved 7 September 2025.
  4. ^ Unthank, Kennedy (2023). "The Critical Drinker". Plugged In. Focus on the Family. Archived from the original on 19 July 2025. Retrieved 6 September 2025.
  5. ^ "Unlikely summer hit Sound Of Freedom opens new front in US culture wars". The Straits Times. 20 July 2023. ISSN 0585-3923. Retrieved 6 September 2025.
  6. ^ Tolleson, Rachel (24 May 2026). "Angry YouTube Man Mocks Zendaya's Acting Range By…Using Still Images". The Mary Sue. Retrieved 6 June 2026.
  7. ^ a b Gray, Teresia (7 April 2026). "Failed Filmmaker Turned YouTube Grifter Is Mad People Are Distancing Themselves From Him and His Grift". The Mary Sue. Archived from the original on 8 April 2026. Retrieved 12 April 2026.
  8. ^ a b c Wilson, Linda (February 2014). "Sacrifice". Crime Review. Archived from the original on 17 October 2021.
  9. ^ "Crime Book of the Year shortlist - Bloody Scotland". 10 August 2012. Retrieved 6 January 2026.
  10. ^ a b c Magson, Adrian. "REDEMPTION". Shots Magazine. Archived from the original on 15 October 2025.
  11. ^ "Will Jordan: How I write series fiction". 15 March 2018. Retrieved 3 April 2026.
  12. ^ Hibberd, James (28 March 2026). "'Project Hail Mary' Author Andy Weir Says Paramount Rejected His 'Star Trek' Pitch: Their "Shows Are Sh**"". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved 12 April 2026.
  13. ^ "Sunny Delights". Sunday Telegraph. 22 July 2012. p. 171.
  14. ^ a b Wilson, Linda (2015). "Betrayal by Will Jordan". Crime Review. Archived from the original on 17 June 2015.
  15. ^ Jordan, Will (2019). Black List. Ryan Drake Series (1st ed.). New York: Canelo. ISBN 978-1-910859-09-4.
  16. ^ Jordan, Will (2019). Deception Game. Ryan Drake Series (1st ed.). New York: Canelo. ISBN 978-1-910859-04-9.
  17. ^ Jordan, Will (2019). Ghost Target. Ryan Drake Series (1st ed.). New York: Canelo. ISBN 978-1-910859-71-1.
  18. ^ Patterson, James; Jordan, Will (2017). Deadly Cargo. New York: BookShots. ISBN 978-1-786531-76-6.
  19. ^ Jordan, Will (2017). Shadow Conflict. Ryan Drake. London: Canelo Digital Publishing Ltd. ISBN 978-1-910859-72-8.
  20. ^ Jordan, Will (2019). Downfall. Ryan Drake. London: Canelo Digital Publishing Ltd. ISBN 978-1-910859-73-5.
  21. ^ Chan, CHRISTOPHER (19 October 2021). "Book Review: Something to Die For (Ryan Drake, Book 9), by Will Jordan". Mystery Center. Archived from the original on 15 March 2025. Retrieved 22 August 2025.
  22. ^ https://books.google.com.au/books/about/Dark_Harvest.html?id=LbeizwEACAAJ&redir_escy}
  23. ^ Bloody Scotland Scottish Crime Book of the Year 2012. Bloody Scotland.
  24. ^ "Will Jordan – the ScotsCare podcast – Episode 4 | Scotscare". ScotsCare. Retrieved 6 January 2026.
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