The Mastermind - Review
- Jack Aling
- Oct 13, 2025
- 1 min read
Updated: Jun 18
A Big Life-Changing Opportunity.
Review written by Jack Aling
The Mastermind is directed by Kelly Reichardt and written by Kelly Reichardt.
Set in a sedate Massachusetts suburb circa 1970, unemployed family man J.B. Mooney plots to steal art from a local museum while the US rages over the Vietnam War. With accomplices recruited, he believes he has an airtight plan — but things do not go as expected.
My apologies Kelly Reichardt, I did not get it. The Mastermind sees Josh O'Connor very slowly… And passively… Go on the run after a simple heist goes wrong. The first half feels just as planned and precise as the heist, but things slowly unravel and fizzle out, which leads to an interesting character study of a man coming undone - even if it's dramatically uneventful.
London Film Festival 2025: Ranked. Reviewed for Escape Film Club.
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