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British actor Josh O’Connor, best known for his brooding turns in The Crown, God’s Own Country, and most recently Challengers, is swapping royalty and racquets for something far grittier- art theft. In The Mastermind, a quietly gripping new heist film by acclaimed indie director Kelly Reichardt, O’Connor takes on the role of a desperate, small-town carpenter who turns to crime in 1970s Massachusetts. With Reichardt at the helm, the film promises a more meditative, human-centered story about ambition, survival, and the slow unraveling of a man on the edge.
With its first look recently unveiled ahead of its world premiere at the 2025 Cannes Film Festival, The Mastermind is already generating buzz as one of the most intriguing entries in this year’s competition lineup. It has also been nominated for a Palme d'Or. Between O’Connor’s rising star power and Reichardt’s reputation for crafting emotionally rich, minimalist cinema, this is one release that’s shaping up to be anything but ordinary. Here's everything we know so far.
More details about The Mastermind
After dazzling audiences as a tormented prince in The Crown and breaking hearts in Challengers, Josh O’Connor is set to reinvent himself once again- this time, as a low-rent art thief in Kelly Reichardt’s latest film, The Mastermind. The film, which just unveiled its first look ahead of its Cannes 2025 premiere, promises a slow-burning heist story set not in the glitz of Vegas or the bustle of New York, but in a quiet, working-class Massachusetts town in the 1970s. Yes, it’s a heist film, but not the kind that throws glitter and gadgets at you. This one's got sawdust, silence, and simmering desperation. Reichardt, known for her introspective takes on human frailty, seems poised to give the heist genre a refreshingly human twist.
O’Connor plays JB Mooney, an unemployed carpenter teetering on the edge of financial ruin, who reinvents himself as a first-time art thief. The twist? He’s got no experience, just a plan, a lot of nerve, and the kind of hopeless ambition that turns nobodies into legends. His thievery is not influenced by any passion or larger motives; he just wants to support his family and make sure they are taken care of,
Starring alongside O’Connor is Alana Haim as Terri Mooney, John Magaro, Hope Davis, Bill Camp, Gaby Hoffmann, and Amanda Plummer- a cast stacked with indie brilliance. The 110-minute English-language feature is produced by Filmscience and backed by MUBI, which will also distribute the film across North America and beyond.
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A short clip reveals JB Mooney in the early stages of his criminal apprenticeship, clumsy, tense, and determined. The Mastermind is expected to hit theaters later this year, but until then, all eyes are on Cannes, where O’Connor may just pull off his most daring transformation yet. Along with The Mastermind, Connor is also featured alongside Paul Mescal in The History of Sound, a historical romantic drama by Oliver Hermanus, which will also be debuting at Cannes.
The Mastermind will have its world premiere on May 23, 2025.
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