The Mastermind

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The Mastermind

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1h 50m

Drama

Crime

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Popcornmeter

91%

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76 Reviews

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Fewer than 50 Ratings

Celebrated filmmaker Kelly Reichardt (First Cow, Showing Up) directs an unforgettable Josh O'Connor in THE MASTERMIND, her latest Cannes triumph. In a sedate Massachusetts suburb circa 1970, unemployed family man and amateur art thief J.B Mooney sets out on his first heist. With the museum cased and accomplices recruited, he has an airtight plan. Or so he thinks. A brilliant look at the folly of man, THE MASTERMIND also features Alana Haim, Gaby Hoffmann, John Magaro, Hope Davis and Bill Camp. Rich in textured detail, this sly depiction of an era subverts long-held illusions and confronts disillusionment.

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Critics Consensus

Kelly Reichardt crafts a heist film at her own laconic pace with The Mastermind, a contemplative crime drama that glides along Josh O'Connor's effortless watchability and a sumptuously vintage aesthetic.

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Adam Nayman

Toronto Star

Reichardt may be a realist, but she isn’t a scold; she makes sure to supply laughs and suspense amid the bleakness, and to place JB’s flaws in a larger and suggestive social context.

Rated: 4/4

Oct 21, 2025

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Manohla Dargis

New York Times

Here, the robbery is more of a beginning in a low-key funny and sharp look at a character -- as well as a larger world -- in thrall to narcissistic self-interest.

Oct 20, 2025

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Matt Zoller Seitz

RogerEbert.com

The film might not work if it starred anyone but O’Connor. He’s one of the great recent finds in world cinema, and an actor who seems to be everywhere now, deservedly so. It’s exciting just to watch him sit and think.

Rated: 3.5/4

Oct 18, 2025

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Tanner Gordon

Spectrum Culture

The core pleasure of Kelly Reichardt’s new slow heist film The Mastermind is in its innumerable, lovingly crafted details.

Oct 21, 2025

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Alistair Harkness

Scotsman

It’s an intriguing proposition, but while Reichardt’s films never give much away about their characters, O’Connor’s JB is almost too much of a blank canvas. Still, the forensic way Reichardt chronicles JB’s ineptitude is pretty funny.

Rated: 4/5

Oct 21, 2025

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Nick Johnston

Vanyaland

...you’re lulled in by its hypnotic blend of well-tempered observation and perfectly-crafted visuals, punctuated by the occasional thunderclap caused by a particularly potent and often-bitter laugh.

Oct 21, 2025

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PSY

Very slow moving, no real development of the other characters. Not enough development of main character, and the association of with other group characters. Ending lazy . This is a waste of money.

Rated 2 out of 5 stars

10/20/25

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luke

Truly the most boring movie I have ever seen

Rated 1 out of 5 stars

10/19/25

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Andrew W

I felt compelled to write this after seeing the film in theaters. The high Rotten Tomatoes score was misleading — this movie was, quite simply, boring. It gives the impression that it’s building toward something meaningful, but when the credits roll, the theater falls silent — not out of awe, but confusion. Personally, it's one of the dullest movies I’ve seen in a long time. It left me thinking: What was the point of this film?

Rated 1.5 out of 5 stars

10/21/25

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virginia s

I appreciated the slow pace during the first hour since it was interesting and well done, with a likable lead actor and a soundtrack that helped keep it suspenseful. But the latter part of the movie was too boring.

Rated 2.5 out of 5 stars

10/21/25

Full Review

Jai B

I watched a pre-release last week of The Mastermind, and I was blown away... by how terrible this film was. Slow moving, and for a heist film, my heart rate did not increase an iota. In fact it may have dropped off when I accidentally fell asleep halfway through the movie. Dull characters, absence of a moving story, and a vague, unclear moral purpose of the storytelling leave this as one of the worst movies I have ever seen. Lots of people leaving halfway through- hindsight being 20/20, I wish I had too.

Rated 0.5 out of 5 stars

10/20/25

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Scott H.

Characters and story are mundane. Just waited for anything interesting to happen and it just didn’t occur.

Rated 1 out of 5 stars

10/20/25

Full Review

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Kelly Reichardt

Director

Gaby Hoffmann

Actor

Josh O'Connor

Actor

John Magaro

Actor

Hope Davis

Actor

Bill Camp

Actor

The Mastermind: Movie Clip - Stealing from the Museum

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The Mastermind: Trailer 1

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Synopsis

Celebrated filmmaker Kelly Reichardt (First Cow, Showing Up) directs an unforgettable Josh O'Connor in THE MASTERMIND, her latest Cannes triumph. In a sedate Massachusetts suburb circa 1970, unemployed family man and amateur art thief J.B Mooney sets out on his first heist. With the museum cased and accomplices recruited, he has an airtight plan. Or so he thinks. A brilliant look at the folly of man, THE MASTERMIND also features Alana Haim, Gaby Hoffmann, John Magaro, Hope Davis and Bill Camp. Rich in textured detail, this sly depiction of an era subverts long-held illusions and confronts disillusionment.

Director: Kelly Reichardt
Producer: Neil Kopp, Vincent Savino, Anish Savjani
Screenwriter: Kelly Reichardt
Distributor: MUBI
Production Co: Film Science, UTA Independent Film Group, MUBI
Rating: R (Some Language)
Genre: Drama, Crime
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Oct 17, 2025, Limited
Runtime: 1h 50m