John Powers

Eley Williams tells the story of two word-mad characters who work for the same dictionary publisher 120 years apart. This novel is perfect for anyone who loves puns, crosswords and witty writing.

A new PBS Masterpiece psychological thriller stars Glenda Jackson as a woman desperately trying to solve two mysteries — even as her own grasp of reality is slipping away.

From Lovers Rock to The Good Lord Bird, the titles on John Powers' year-end list didn't simply distract; they also delved into enduring questions of freedom, dignity and survival.

A new documentary reveals how corporate and government corruption led to the use of diluted disinfectants in Romanian hospitals. Collective is a gripping story that speaks to the present moment.

The latest season of The Crown pulses with glamour and sizzle, as Elizabeth II greets the arrival of two women who threaten her preeminence: Margaret Thatcher and Princess Diana.

A brilliant young woman crashes the traditionally male world of chess in Netflix's seven-part miniseries based on Walter Tevis' addictive novel.

Lee's new film for HBO captures a live performance of Byrne's acclaimed Broadway show. David Byrne's American Utopia is a rousing blend of song, dance and revival meeting.

A Mossad agent is charged with crippling the Iranian power grid. After a deadly snafu, she must survive in a city not exactly known for its hospitality toward Israeli spies.

A new documentary shows how the CIA and Britain's MI6 engineered the forcible removal of Iranian Prime Minister Mohammad Mosaddegh. The 1953 coup continues to rattle history to this day.

Raven Leilani's novel centers on a young woman with a free-range libido who dreams of being a painter. Luster is a crackling debut about sex, art and the inescapable workings of race.

Smith began Intimations: Six Essays at the onset of the pandemic and finished it shortly after George Floyd's killing. Although only 100 pages, there's something worth quoting on virtually every page.

Charlize Theron plays the world-weary leader of a group of heroes in a new film that broadens the notion of who can be a superhero — and what it might feel like to be one.

Currently in its fifth season on Sundance Now, the series focuses on the clandestine missions, office politics and kaleidoscopic personalities at France's big spy organization, the DGSE.

A poet, novelist and screenwriter, Hayes' name largely fell from view following his death in 1985. Now, with the re-issue of three of his novels, his reputation has been making a comeback.

A limited series premiering on AMC deftly sketches the portrait of a married couple who get put on trial for cheating to win the top prize on the British version of Who Wants to Be a Millionaire?

In 2003, Japanese animator Satoshi Kon presented an upbeat fable about three social outcasts who find an abandoned baby. Recently restored, Toyko Godfathers never sinks into moralizing or treacle.

Based on Sally Rooney's novel, Hulu's 12-part series centers on the unlikely love affair between two alienated high school students. Despite shortcomings, Normal People's romantic pull is addictive.

Actual crimes are scary and disturbing, but critic John Powers finds crime stories comforting. He recommends two shows he's been binge-watching during the pandemic.

Critic John Powers recommends three stories to break up the monotony of coronavirus lockdown: Unorthodox on Netflix; Baghdad Central on Hulu and a new translation of Magda Szabó's 1970 novel Abigail.

Hulu's new eight-part series uses the fraught encounter between two families — one well-off and white, one bohemian and black — to raise tricky questions about race and social class.