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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Each year, Fresh Air critic-at-large John Powers finds himself haunted by the books, movies and shows that he loved but wasn't able to review on the air. -
Natalie Portman plays a young Christian woman who is propelled to pop stardom following a mass shooting. Critic John Powers says Vox Lux is inventive — and exasperating.
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Gina Apostol's dizzying new novel begin in present-day Manila before diving into the late 19th century — and the tortuous relationship between the U.S. and the Philippines.
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John Powers reviews two new series based on true crime stories. Dannemora dramatizes the story of a 2015 prison break. Dirty John follows the delusions and dangers of a woman falling for a conman.
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A new BBC/Netflix series about terrorism and political chicanery delivers plenty of thrills — but ultimately lacks seriousness. Critic John Powers says Bodyguard is "awash in a timely cynicism." -
Paul Greengrass' new film re-creates the 2011 attacks in which a right-wing terrorist killed 77 people, most of them teens. Critic John Powers says 22 July is a superb film that avoids sensationalism. -
Susan Lacy's terrific HBO documentary examines Fonda's juicy, controversial life in five parts. The first four are named for a man under whose influence Fonda lived; in the fifth, she stands alone.
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Olga Tokarczuk's book won the 2018 Man Booker International Prize. Critic John Powers says the hard-to-classify work is positively exploding with maps, remembrances, riffs, history and more.
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Morgan Neville's moving documentary about Fred Rogers and Netflix's stand-up special starring Australian comic Hannah Gadsby both refuse to play along with established genre conventions.
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A new BBC miniseries streaming on Amazon and starring Hugh Grant tells the story of Britain's Thorpe affair, a 1970s tabloid fiesta that brought together politics, illicit sex and a criminal trial.
