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Kelly Reichardt’s ‘The Mastermind’ Opens to Strong Reviews for a Quiet, Offbeat Heist

Critics single out Josh O’Connor’s performance in a 1970s Massachusetts tale of a small-town art theft.

Overview

  • The film follows J.B. Mooney, a suburban father who sets out to steal four small Arthur Dove paintings from his local museum.
  • Reviewers describe Reichardt’s approach as a deconstruction of the heist film, favoring character study, dry humor and restrained tension over spectacle.
  • Set around 1970 in Framingham, Massachusetts, the story unfolds against a backdrop of Vietnam War-era unease conveyed through television news.
  • Performances by Josh O’Connor and Alana Haim draw praise, with O’Connor’s understated turn highlighted as the film’s anchor.
  • The movie is playing in theaters now, with a streaming release on MUBI slated to begin in November 2025.