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The Secret Agent to Mitski: the week in rave reviews
#rave reviews#The Secret Agent#Mitski#cultural criticism#The Guardian#film recommendations#book reviews#music albums
📌 Key Takeaways
The Secret Agent highlighted as top film recommendation with political themes
Mitski's album praised for emotional depth and unique perspective
Gisèle Pelicot interview noted for dignified feminist portrayal
Diverse range of cultural works reviewed across film, TV, books, and music
📖 Full Retelling
The Guardian's culture critics have highlighted standout works across film, television, literature, and music in their weekly review roundup published on February 21, 2026, featuring Wagner Moura in 'The Secret Agent' as the top film recommendation and Mitski's latest album as the music pick. The publication's team of reviewers praised Brazilian director João Salles' political thriller for its visual brilliance and complex portrayal of corruption in 1970s Brazil, while Mitski's new album 'Nothing's About to Happen to Me' was celebrated for its emotional depth and unique perspective on disconnection and fame. In television, the BBC's interview with feminist icon Gisèle Pelicot received particular acclaim for its dignified portrayal of the survivor who became a symbol of hope for women worldwide. The week's reviews showcased a diverse range of cultural offerings, from a Glaswegian sitcom with autistic representation to a documentary about Paul McCartney's post-Beatles years, demonstrating the breadth of contemporary artistic achievement being recognized by critics.
🏷️ Themes
Cultural criticism, Artistic excellence, Feminist perspectives, Historical narratives
Mitsuki Laycock (born September 27, 1990), also known as Mitski Miyawaki, and known professionally as Mitski, is an American singer-songwriter. She self-released her first two albums, Lush (2012), and Retired from Sad, New Career in Business (2013), while studying composition at Purchase College's C...
The Guardian is a British daily newspaper. It was founded in Manchester in 1821 as The Manchester Guardian and changed its name in 1959, followed by a move to London. Along with its sister paper, The Guardian Weekly, The Guardian is part of the Guardian Media Group, owned by the Scott Trust Limited.
The Secret Agent: A Simple Tale is an anarchist spy fiction novel by Polish–British author Joseph Conrad, first "printed (1905–1906) as eleven installments in Ridgway's" and published in book form on 12 September 1907. The story is set in Soho, London in 1886 and deals with Mr. Adolf Verloc and his ...
The Guardian’s roundup of top reviews offers readers a concise snapshot of the week’s most acclaimed cultural works, highlighting trends in film, TV, music and books. By summarizing critics’ insights, it helps audiences decide what to watch, read or listen to next. It also shows how critical discourse shapes public perception of contemporary media.
Context & Background
Guardian curates best-rated reviews from its critics
The list covers films, television, music and books
Critics focus on themes such as politics, mental health and historical context
What Happens Next
The highlighted works are likely to see a boost in viewership or sales as audiences follow the critical recommendations. Critical acclaim may also position some titles for award nominations and influence future production choices.
Frequently Asked Questions
How are the reviews selected?
Guardian curates the top-rated reviews from its panel of critics.
Are the full reviews available online?
Yes, the full reviews can be read on the Guardian website.
Will the highlighted works be nominated for awards?
Some may be considered for awards; critical acclaim can boost nominations.
Original Source
The Secret Agent to Mitski: the week in rave reviews A brilliant mystery drama about politics and corruption in 70s Brazil, and a wonderful wallow in misery from the US musician. Here’s the pick of the week’s culture, taken from the Guardian’s best-rated reviews TV If you only watch one, make it … Gisèle Pelicot: The Newsnight Interview BBC iPlayer Summed up in a sentence A perfectly judged questioning of the feminist icon and source of hope to women around the world – in which her innate dignity shines through. What our reviewer said “Sitting, perfectly calm, effortlessly poised, even when occasionally moved to tears … Mme Pelicot cuts an extraordinary figure. You can only gaze in admiration at her strength and grace.” Lucy Mangan Read the full review Further reading ‘These men think they’ve done nothing wrong’: the philosopher who tried to understand Gisèle Pelicot’s rapists You may have missed … Girl Taken Paramount+ Summed up in a sentence A deeply engaging, psychologically complex thriller about a family dealing with a kidnapped daughter. What our reviewer said “There are enough twists and reveals as the episodes unfurl to let the show retain its thriller title, but Girl Taken gives a lot more than that.” Lucy Mangan Read the full review Dinosaur BBC iPlayer Summed up in a sentence Refreshing, groundbreaking and full of gags, this Glaswegian sitcom’s return is very welcome indeed. What our reviewer said “At first sight Dinosaur treads the same ground as every other British sitcom about loving yet dysfunctional families, regional quirks, a good dose of farce, and the requisite cringingly cute will-they-won’t-they storyline. But all this so-called normality is undercut by Nina’s autistic perspective.” Chitra Ramaswany Read the full review Film If you only watch one, make it … The Secret Agent In cinemas now Summed up in a sentence Wagner Moura stars as an academic on the run in Brazil’s murderous 1970s as he attempts to escape corrupt politics in a novelistic stu...
