A.O. Scott

In her latest book, Olivia Laing makes an impassioned case for the garden — as repository of natural beauty, as democratic ideal, as writerly inspiration.

In Joseph O’Neill’s new novel, the search for an African sports prodigy is wrapped around a story of American workplace dysfunction.

She devoted her life to showing us how and why.

The fate of Harvard’s president is the latest evidence of a deep crisis in American academia.

How an ancient Greek myth explains our terrifying modern reality.

Todd Haynes’s documentary paints a jagged, revelatory portrait of the New York avant-garde scene of the 1960s.

Ruben Ostlund won the top prize at Cannes for this preening, obvious satire of contemporary hypocrisy.

Walter Hill’s lean, mean shoot-’em-up is a master class in B-movie craft.

Nadav Lapid’s new film, about a brooding director much like himself, is a howl of rage at the state of Israeli society.

The real-life boxer Kali Reis plays a pugilist in search of revenge.