John Powers
John Powers is the pop culture and critic-at-large on NPR's Fresh Air with Terry Gross. He previously served for six years as the film critic.
Powers spent the last 25 years as a critic and columnist, first for LA Weekly, then Vogue. His work has appeared in numerous publications, including Harper's BAZAAR, The Nation, Gourmet, The Washington Post, and The New York Times.
A former professor at Georgetown University, Powers is the author of Sore Winners, a study of American culture during President George W. Bush's administration. His latest book, WKW: The Cinema of Wong Kar Wai (co-written with Wong Kar Wai), is an April 2016 release by Rizzoli.
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Few shows announce their roots more clearly than Diarra from Detroit, the smart, deliriously ambitious comic mystery series that's currently in its second season, on Paramount+.
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With sharp dialogue and a strong cast, Lanterns is a mashup of superpower action, odd couple comedy, and old school cop story. It boasts the pleasures, and betrays the perils of pushing the comic book envelope.
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The internationally known chef, writer, and television star died in 2018. Tony, starring Dominic Sessa, tells just a splinter of Bourdain's life — the mid-1970s summer when he was 19. -
Ferrell plays a zany former golf star who's trying to regain his mojo in a new Netflix series. While The Hawk has its flaws, it delivers satisfying silliness, amusing shenanigans and surprise cameos. -
Nathaniel Rich's literary thriller centers on a young couple who strike out against a data center. Cloudthief wraps a smart exploration of our data-dominated society inside an entertaining heist yarn. -
The Apple TV series wraps noir inside science fiction. With subtlety and charm, Farrell plays an earnest alien just doing his best as a private eye in Los Angeles. -
This British comedy on Hulu centers on two 50-something best friends who turn on each other after he gets involved with her 26-year-old daughter. While the premise is juicy, it's also a tad yucky. -
The End of the Sahara is a kaleidoscopic murder mystery by the Algerian writer Saïd Khatibi. An Enigma by the Sea is a witty, socially astute novel set along well-to-do Tuscan coast. -
In Apple TV's new horror-comedy, Matthew Rhys plays a mayor who wants to turn his New England island into a popular tourist destination. There's just one problem: The island may be a source of evil. -
Set in Russia in the years following the fall of communism, The Wizard of the Kremlin doesn't always work dramatically. But you leave with a better understanding of how Vladimir Putin came to power.
