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.
He lives in Pasadena, California, with his wife, filmmaker Sandi Tan.
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Ava DuVernay's new film takes its name from the amendment that abolished slavery, but allowed for prisoner servitude. Critic John Powers says 13th puts forth a searing interpretation of U.S. history.
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HBO's latest series is a high-tech theme park, whose visitors get to live out their wildest dreams of being in the Old West. Critic John Powers calls Westworld an "unexpectedly resonant show." -
Sutherland plays a Cabinet member who becomes president after an explosion takes out the U.S. Capitol — and everyone above him in the pecking order. Critic John Powers has a review. -
Todd Phillips' new comedy, which is loosely based on a true story, follows two 20-somethings from Miami who become international arms dealers. Critic John Powers calls War Dogs "jauntily enjoyable."
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Charlotte Wood's short, gripping book focuses on 10 women who have been sent to a prison camp after various sex scandals. Critic John Powers calls The Natural Way of Things a ferocious novel.
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Filmmaker Alex Gibney's new documentary focuses on the large-scale implications of computer malware. Critic John Powers calls Zero Days an important — and chilling — film. -
Critic John Powers says there's a boom in good fiction emerging from Mexico. He recommends Among Strange Victims, by Daniel Saldaña París, and The Transmigration of Bodies, by Yuri Herrera.
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A new documentary revisits Genovese's 1964 murder and the 38 bystanders who allegedly did nothing to stop it. Critic John Powers says the film is "a useful moral corrective" to the popular narrative.
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An aging rock star's respite in the Mediterranean is interrupted by an old lover in A Bigger Splash. John Powers calls the film, which stars Tilda Swinton and Ralph Fiennes, a "gripping slow-burn." -
Le Carré's 1993 novel comes to life in a six-part AMC series. John Powers says the show, which jets from Egyptian streets to posh Alpine lodges, is one of the most enjoyable thrillers he's seen on TV.
