The Mastermind

If you're expecting a slick, high-stakes heist flick with fast cars and laser grids, The Mastermind might throw you for a loop—but in the best way. Directed and written by Kelly Reichardt, this 2025 film takes the classic crime genre and flips it on its head, offering a slow-burn, character-driven story set in the sleepy suburbs of 1970s Massachusetts.

At the center of it all is J.B. Mooney, played by Josh O'Connor, an out-of-work carpenter who decides to steal a few Arthur Dove paintings from a local museum. But this isn’t your typical mastermind criminal. J.B. is more of a lost soul than a criminal genius, and his plan quickly spirals into chaos. As the fallout from the heist unfolds, the film explores themes of privilege, rebellion, and the cost of personal freedom—all against the backdrop of a country grappling with the Vietnam War and the fading ideals of the 1960s.

The cast is stacked with talent, including Alana Haim as J.B.’s wife, Hope Davis and Bill Camp as his disapproving parents, and Gaby Hoffmann and John Magaro as his old art school friends. Their performances help ground the film’s more philosophical moments in emotional reality.

Reichardt, known for her thoughtful and minimalist storytelling, isn’t interested in the mechanics of the heist as much as what happens after. The Mastermind has been described as an “anti-heist movie,” and that label fits. It’s more about the unraveling of a man and his misguided attempt to break free from a life he doesn’t understand than it is about the crime itself.

Visually, the film leans into a vintage 1970s aesthetic, and critics have praised its contemplative tone and strong performances. It’s already earned a 92% approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes and an 80 on Metacritic, with reviewers calling it “quietly gripping” and “an artful exercise in genre reinvention.”

This one’s for fans of slow-burn dramas, character studies, and films that challenge genre expectations. If you’re into the works of Jean-Pierre Melville or Robert Bresson, or just like your crime stories with a side of existential crisis, you’ll probably love it. But if you’re looking for a fast-paced thriller with a tidy ending, you might walk away scratching your head. Either way, The Mastermind is a unique ride worth taking.