Josh O’Connor Plans an Art Heist in ‘The Mastermind’ Trailer
Mubi has released the official trailer for Kelly Reichardt‘s new film, The Mastermind, focusing on Josh O’Connor’s character JB Mooney’s preparations for an art heist.
The movie is set in Massachusetts in the 1970s, where O’Connor’s unemployed carpenter turned amateur art thief plans his first major crime. But, per the film’s logline, “when things go haywire, his life unravels.”
In addition to O’Connor, The Mastermind, which Reichardt wrote and directed, stars Alana Haim, Gaby Hoffman, John Magaro, Hope Davis and Bill Camp and will be released on Oct. 17.
The trailer begins with a shot of JB picking up a newspaper outside of his home to set the scene. He is then seen at a family dinner, where his father (Camp) points out that he has “a good amount of time” on his hands due to his lack of work.
You Might Also Like
“Just hear me out. It’s a big life changing opportunity for me,” JB tells his mother (Davis) in one clip before he’s seen in an art museum. A following clip shows him exchanging money with two men in a parking lot as his conversation with his mother continues in a voiceover. “But I’d have to rent a workspace and purchase tools, which I don’t have,” he explains.
After JB completes the heist, two men come to his home to discuss his involvement. “See, James. We’ve been told that you’re mixed up in this robbery,” one man says before JB replies, “I sure don’t know how you got down this road, but you got the wrong idea. I’m afraid you got some bad information.”
The trailer concludes with JB meeting with two men as they seemingly prepare for a heist. However, they’re interrupted when a woman asks who is in the basement with him. “The guys are here,” he says before she responds, “Hmm. Don’t forget to lock the door.”
The Mastermind premiered at the 2025 Cannes Film Festival.
In his review, The Hollywood Reporter‘s chief film critic, David Rooney, praises Reichardt for creating a genre picture that doesn’t include the usual tropes in order to focus on character, human failings and the lengths people go to when faced with struggles.
